Houthi-claimed attacks on Abha and Riyadh airports kill three and injure 36
India condemns attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure
More than 200,000 people displaced as Yemen fighting intensifies
Three people were killed and 36 others injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on two international airports in Saudi Arabia, as renewed fighting between the Iran-backed group and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces further escalated the conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the attacks targeted Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 6 and 7.
Two women, a Moroccan and an Algerian resident, were killed in the attack on Abha, where 28 people were injured. A Sudanese resident was killed in the strike on King Khalid International Airport, with eight others injured. GACA said the injured were taken to hospitals and that the attacks also caused material damage.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. Their military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid airport with drones and carried out another operation against Abha using ballistic missiles and drones.
India Condemns Attacks On Saudi Airports
India has condemned the attacks, describing the targeting of civilian infrastructure as “completely unacceptable”.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said India condemned attacks over the past few days targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that had resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones,” the MEA said, while wishing those injured a speedy recovery. India also expressed solidarity with the people and government of Saudi Arabia.
The attacks come amid a sharp escalation in fighting between the Houthis and forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has supported the Yemeni government militarily in its conflict with the Houthis since 2015.
Yemen Fighting Displaces More Than 200,000
The latest attacks are part of a broader escalation that has pushed the Yemen conflict into its most serious phase since a UN-brokered truce largely halted major cross-border attacks in 2022.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Yemen since fighting intensified in early September, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM). The number had risen sharply from 76,000 in mid-September, with displacement reported across 10 governorates.
The renewed fighting has also intensified around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched operations to retake territory seized by the Houthis, while the group has responded with missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets.
The humanitarian crisis is worsening as the fighting continues. The UN has warned of rising needs for food and shelter, while more than 3,700 people have also fled Yemen by sea for Djibouti since the latest escalation.
