Houthis Claim Missile Strike on Riyadh Airport as Flights Halt and Plane Burns
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed Thursday they struck Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile, as King Khalid International Airport halted outgoing flights and a parked Saudia Airlines aircraft caught fire on the tarmac. A ballistic missile is a long-range weapon that arcs high before falling fast to its target.
The Houthis provided no evidence for the claim. Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment, according to reporting The Guardian.
Three people briefed on the matter told Reuters that shrapnel from an interception or another projectile left the Saudia plane heavily damaged after it caught fire while parked at a terminal. Interception means a defensive system trying to break apart an incoming weapon in the air. No passengers were believed to be on board at the time. The account points to debris from that defensive action as the cause of damage, rather than a direct hit.
Witnesses heard explosions in Riyadh, including a large blast at the airport. A video verified by Reuters showed a thick black column of smoke and flames rising from the airport. A witness told the Associated Press that fire and ambulance crews were deployed there. The same witness said outgoing flights were halted and passengers were told to evacuate.
Lufthansa confirmed it was suspending flights to Riyadh. Air India confirmed the same. A separate Reuters account on Oct. 8 reported that Lufthansa Group and three Indian airlines said on Thursday they would suspend flights to Riyadh, as the Houthis renewed attacks Reuters. Cirium data showed almost half of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT on Thursday. Cirium data also showed 31 more cancellations expected for Friday across all Saudi airports.
The Thursday incident followed strikes earlier in the week. Saudi authorities said on Wednesday that three people had been killed this week in strikes on Riyadh airport and Abha airport. Saudi officials said debris from an intercepted missile had hit a kindergarten and medical complex in Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted three Houthi ballistic missiles, in reporting published Oct. 8 Al Jazeera. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Houthi forces targeted King Khalid International Airport with several drones, in a claim reported Oct. 7. The Saudi-led coalition said Houthi attacks most recently targeted King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport Saudi Press Agency. The GCC Secretary-General separately condemned Houthi targeting of facilities at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport.
The Houthis on Thursday attempted to shut down Saudi Arabia's airspace and warned workers to stay away from energy plants. Riyadh is due to host the WPC Energy Congress meeting of energy policymakers this week.
On Oct. 8, the Arab League strongly condemned continued attacks by the Houthi militia against the Kingdom. The United Nations condemned continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. An attack on King Khalid International Airport resulted in deaths and injuries among citizens and residents. On Oct. 8, the Muslim World League strongly condemned Houthi militia attacks on Saudi airports.
The broader context here is the use of civil aviation and energy sites as parallel pressure points. Stopping an incoming missile in the air does not remove danger on the ground, because falling fragments can still damage parked planes, buildings and neighborhoods in a crowded city. For airlines and insurers, repeated drone and missile claims against the same hub, plus an evacuation of a terminal, shift the calculation even when only one plane is damaged. With an airspace warning, a warning to energy workers, and a major energy meeting all landing at once, Saudi air-defence results, efforts to contain escalation, and keeping international flights running sit at the center of what happens next.
