Houthis Claim Airport Strikes Across Saudi Arabia; Riyadh Confirms Jazan, Najran Attacks

Riyadh: Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Monday that the latest Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and military sites were carried out with a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, in a sharp escalation of the fighting spilling across the border. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed on Tuesday that two southern airports — in Jazan and Najran — were attacked, leaving three people with minor injuries.

FAKTA

• Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said late Monday that the group carried out three operations with what he called a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
• The targets the Houthis claim to have hit: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh, Abha Airport, the Khamis Mushait air base and military camps in Asir, Najran and Jazan.
• Saudi aviation authorities confirmed attacks on the Jazan and Najran airports on Monday, reporting three minor injuries and material damage. The statement did not identify the attacker.
• The Houthis warned international airlines against flying in Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina.
• The Houthis said the strikes were in response to about 60 Saudi-led airstrikes in the preceding 24 hours on Sanaa and the provinces of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Hajjah, Saada and Marib.

What the Houthis claim

In a statement carried by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, Saree said the first operation targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and that the strike hit its target, disrupting air traffic. He said the second operation targeted an Aramco refinery in Rabigh in the Mecca region, claiming it caused a fire at the facility. The third operation, he said, targeted Abha Airport, the Khamis Mushait base and the Aqfa camp in the southern Asir region, along with what he described as other sensitive sites in Najran and Jazan. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities of the claimed strikes on the Riyadh airport or the Rabigh refinery.

Houthi attacks on Saudi airports: the confirmed damage

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Tuesday that the airports in Jazan and Najran, both near the Yemeni border, were attacked on Monday. “The attacks resulted in three minor injuries and material damage,” the authority said. The statement did not identify who carried out the attacks.

Regional escalation

The cross-border strikes come as Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched a major counteroffensive against the Houthis. Government forces said on Monday they had recaptured the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha along with key positions near the Bab al-Mandeb strait — claims the Houthis dispute. The Saudi-led coalition said it had launched a new air campaign against Houthi positions, with coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki saying about 100 fighter jets were supporting Yemeni government forces.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington intends to honour its defence and security commitments to Saudi Arabia as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces counter what he called a Houthi offensive.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have controlled Yemen’s capital Sanaa since 2014 and are backed by Iran. The latest exchange marks one of the most direct confrontations between the group and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, with airports and energy infrastructure drawn into the fighting. More international coverage is on the Watan News World section.