Saudi-led coalition says it intercepts three Houthi ballistic missiles

The Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognised government says it has intercepted ballistic missiles allegedly fired by Yemen’s Houthis towards cities in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said his forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles heading in the direction of the Saudi capital Riyadh, and one missile in the direction of the city of Khamis Mushait, close to the Yemeni border, on Thursday.

Separately, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said in a statement on X that falling debris from an intercepted missile had caused material damage to a kindergarten and medical clinic complex in Riyadh. It did not indicate if there were any casualties.

Yahya Saree, Yemen’s Houthi military spokesman, said the Iran-aligned group launched a ballistic missile towards King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday afternoon, claiming that the missile had successfully hit its intended target, causing damage and disrupting air traffic.

Witnesses told The Associated Press news agency that they heard several explosions in Riyadh on Thursday, including one at the city’s airport that halted flights. Al Jazeera could not independently confirm the reports.

In recent days, the Houthis have warned aviation companies to avoid using Saudi airspace, saying any aircraft operating in the kingdom’s airspace, except over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, is a target for the Houthis.

Following the latest reports, Air India said on Thursday that it had cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until at least the weekend, and the Germany-based Lufthansa ⁠Group ⁠airlines said they were suspending flights to Riyadh through October 16, according to the Reuters news agency.

The US embassy in Saudi Arabia meanwhile urged its citizens in the country to remain vigilant, saying they should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions.

Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were targeted in two separate attacks, claimed by the Houthis on Tuesday and Wednesday. At least three civilians were killed and 36 injured, according to a statement from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks on the two airports, saying in a post on X that they “represent a grave violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and a direct threat to the security of the region and the safety of civilians, civil objects, and air navigation”. Oman and Egypt also condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi airports.

These were not the first Houthi strikes on Saudi airports. On September 18, Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired towards the airport in Riyadh from Yemen.

A day later, on September 19, at least one explosion was heard near the airport in Riyadh, and a large plume of black smoke was seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.

Meanwhile, inside Yemen, explosions have been reported near the airport in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, according to local sources.

The cause and impact of these explosions are not immediately clear.

In a post on X, a spokesman for Yemen’s Saudi-backed forces said at least 1,370 Houthi fighters were “neutralised” in 1,729 operations, and at least 300 vehicles were destroyed or disabled.

Al Jazeera’s Hadeel al-Yamani, reporting from Taiz in Yemen, said intense fighting is raging between armed forces of Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthis in al-Shamayatayn, al-Maafer and the southern and western countryside of Taiz governorate.

“The Houthis are pushing into rural areas that have not seen conflict for years, aiming to open a supply route because their lines towards al-Kadaha and al-Waziiya, which link Aden, Lahij and Taiz, are nearly cut off by advancing government forces”, she said.

Al-Yamani added that pro-government forces are within striking distance of al-Waziiya and the Kahboub Mountains overlooking Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Pro-government forces have reported more than 2,000 operations against the Houthis, and are preparing for a “dangerous escalation”, she said.

More than 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes since fighting in Yemen escalated in recent weeks, according to data released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM described the crisis in a statement on Wednesday as alarming, with the number of people displaced surging from the 76,000 recorded in mid-September.