RIYADH: Three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha, Saudi civil aviation authorities said Wednesday, as clashes between Yemen’s Houthis and government forces backed by Saudi Arabia escalated.
One person died and eight were wounded in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. At Abha airport, two people were killed and 28 injured. Officials said the strikes took place on Tuesday and Wednesday but did not specify which incident occurred on each day.
The Saudi-led coalition vowed a response, saying the attacks “will not go unpunished.” It later reported strikes on more than 80 Houthi military sites in Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Transport Ministry said Houthi missiles and explosive-laden drones targeted Aden International Airport on Wednesday. One missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was expected to arrive. The airport serves as a key international gateway for areas outside Houthi control.
Fighting intensifies near Bab el-Mandeb
Recent battles have centered on territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping passage whose importance has grown as conflict involving the United States and Iran disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, have launched a counteroffensive to retake strategic areas near the strait and Mocha. The Houthis captured the territory in September, but the durability of the government forces’ advance remains uncertain.
The renewed fighting has displaced more than 200,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration. IOM chief Amy Pope said civilians were fleeing without finding safe places to go and urged increased funding for food and shelter. The UN says three in four families in some parts of Yemen are going hungry.
Saudi Arabia has sought international support as the Houthis threaten the strait and nearby shipping routes. Two officials said Türkiye was providing mainly defensive and technical assistance after pledging to implement a collective defence commitment with Pakistan.
Syria is also weighing possible military support for Saudi Arabia, according to US and Syrian officials. Options reportedly include defensive assistance or deploying forces to support Saudi-backed Yemeni troops. A Syrian diplomat said Damascus stood with Saudi Arabia but was focused primarily on domestic recovery.
On Yemen’s western front, fighting is concentrated in Dhubab, overlooking Bab el-Mandeb. Pro-government forces are seeking to advance through hills east of the coastal plain. Yemeni officials and analysts said an earlier government claim that troops had reached Mocha was premature.
The conflict traces back to 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia led a coalition intervention the following year, citing concerns over Iran’s influence and instability along its border. The coalition accuses Tehran of arming and supporting the Houthis; both the group and Iran deny the allegations.
