A large plume of smoke has been seen rising above Riyadh airport after the Houthi rebel group claimed an attack with a ballistic missile.
The Houthis on Thursday claimed to have targeted King Khalid International Airport as the group steps up attacks on infrastructure in the kingdom.
A witness and three people briefed on the matter told Reuters that smoke was seen rising from a stationary aircraft at the airport. The aircraft was believed to be empty at the time.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said “it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh.”
Separately, another ballistic missile was launched towards city of Khamis Mushait in the southwest, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki posted on X on Thursday.
A military spokesperson for the Houthis earlier told workers at Saudi oil facilities to avoid sites the group considers targets, after renewing threats against airlines and airports.
Saudi Arabia said late on Wednesday that one person had been killed in a strike on Riyadh airport and two others in an attack on Abha airport in the southwest.
It comes as Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan said the country is assessing how it can help Saudi Arabia defend against the attacks under a joint defence pact with Pakistan. However, he ruled out Turkish participation in offensive operations.
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, proclaiming that an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Earlier this week, the countries said they had agreed to move immediately to implement their agreement and to ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The rebels used ballistic and cruise missile drones to attack military facilities and airports in Saudi Arabia, according to the group’s military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree in a social media post on Wednesday but did not provide evidence for the claim.
He said the attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in the capital, Riyadh with missiles. Flights to and from the airport were disrupted, with planes holding away from the airfield, according to flight tracking platform Flightradar24.
Abha airport, military facilities in Khamis Mushait and other “critical sites” in the cities of Najran and Asir were also struck, according to Saree.
Forces of the Saudi-led coalition fighting captured several key areas around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Yemeni officials said on Monday.
Media aligned with the Houthis had earlier denied that government forces were making advances in the region following the reports.
