Yemen's Houthis claim strike on Riyadh airport, three killed

Yemen's Houthi rebels say they struck Saudi Arabia's main international airport in the capital, Riyadh, with a missile attack on Thursday.

They said the strike killed three people and injured several others. It was the third time this weekthat the armed group claimed to have targeted the airport.

"Our armed forces successfully targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, which accurately struck its target and disrupted airport operations," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X.

The conflict in Yemen has increasingly spilled across the country's borders since reigniting in July.

A day earlier, the Saudi-backed and internationally recognized Yemeni government announced a major counteroffensive against the Houthis, who are fighting government forces for control of additional territory.

At the same time, the rebels also warned passenger airlines to stop flying through Saudi airspace.

"We reiterate our call and warning, for the last time, to all international airlines against continuing to operate flights through Saudi airspace," Saree said.

Can Yemen's government turn the tide against the Houthis?

What is the status of the conflict?

According to the United Nations (UN), the conflict has displaced more than 200,000 people within Yemen.

This week, the Yemeni government claimed to have pushed Houthi fighters out of strategic areas along the Red Sea coast and around the port city of Mocha.

Coalition forces spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said that 82 Houthi military targets had been destroyed in the Yemeni provinces of Saada, Marib, Al Jawf, and Al Hudaydah. Al-Maliki did not provide details about casualties or damage, and his claims could not be independently verified.

The targets reportedly included missile launch sites, command centers, and missile and weapons depots.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher

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