Three people were killed and 36 injured in two separate attacks on Abha and King Khalid international airports in Saudi Arabia on 6 and 7 October, the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation said. The Houthis claimed both attacks, which are part of their continuing strikes on Saudi Arabia as the conflict in Yemen escalates.
The authority gave the casualty figures late on Wednesday, 7 October. Two women died at Abha airport in the south of the country. They lived in Saudi Arabia and were citizens of Morocco and Algeria. Twenty-eight people were hurt, including Saudi citizens, a man from Bangladesh and a man from the Philippines who live in the kingdom.
At King Khalid airport in Riyadh, a man from Sudan who lived in Saudi Arabia died. Eight people were hurt: five Saudi citizens and three foreigners who live in Saudi Arabia, two from Egypt and one from Pakistan.
The authority said the injuries range from minor to critical. All the wounded were taken to hospital.
Both attacks also damaged property. Emergency teams and the authorities responded at once, following set protocols and emergency plans, the authority said. It is working with other agencies to assess the damage, check that the facilities are safe and protect passengers and flights.
Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree described a series of missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia in a statement on Telegram. He named King Khalid airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in Rabigh.
Saree said the Houthis carried out three military operations using many ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. He said drones hit Riyadh airport, while ballistic missiles and drones were fired at Abha and Khamis Mushait air base.
Saree said the strike on King Khalid was "accurate and direct" and disrupted air traffic. He used the same words for the strike on the Rabigh refinery, where he said a fire broke out.
The third operation, Saree said, targeted Abha airport, Khamis Mushait air base, the Akifa camp in Asir and "other critical sites" in Najran and Jazan.
Saudi authorities separately reported Houthi attacks on Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.
Saree presented the attacks as a response to Saudi strikes on Yemen. He claimed Saudi Arabia carried out 60 air strikes and missile attacks on Yemen in the previous 24 hours.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. Coalition spokesman Col Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis had used the platform in an attack on Riyadh earlier the same day and were preparing it for a new attack on the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the attacks in an official statement: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the strongest condemnation and denunciation by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the continuing assault by the terrorist Houthi militia on civilian, civil and economic sites in the kingdom." The ministry added that the kingdom continues its efforts to reach a political settlement.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on the two airports and called them "systematic crimes" against civilians. He said strikes on civilian airports and threats to passengers, workers and civilians are a dangerous escalation and a gross breach of international law and norms. The council's member states stand with Saudi Arabia, he said.
The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert on Wednesday, local time. It urges American citizens to be extra vigilant because of the situation and the Houthis' public threats against airports and airspace across the country. The embassy said the Houthis are fighting Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports, and the conflict could escalate. "US citizens should be aware of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption," the alert says. The embassy advises people to check flight status directly with the airline and the airport.
The Houthis also announced strikes on government-held areas in Yemen. They said areas around airports, military positions and other infrastructure were hit at dawn on Wednesday.
Saree also reported attacks on government forces on roads near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, at Ras al-Ara, al-Mudarraba and al-Sakia. He claimed the Houthis hit 11 groups of government forces with 11 ballistic missiles across Yemen in the past 24 hours.
Saree said a ballistic missile strike on the Giants Brigades, which Saudi Arabia backs, killed or wounded more than 30 people. He also said the attacks on government forces in Yemen caused dozens of casualties, including military commanders, and destroyed several vehicles.
Syria's information ministry denied on X rumours that Damascus might step into the conflict in Yemen. The ministry said Syria stands firmly with Saudi Arabia against threats to its security.
The ministry said Syria's policy in the region is stability, peace and cooperation, not opening new fronts. Any military cooperation with partners will go only through official channels and existing bilateral frameworks. The country's priorities are its recovery, strengthening its institutions and working with partners on reconstruction, so that Syrians can live better, it said.