Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Riyadh's international airport

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they struck Riyadh's international airport and a Saudi military assembly point with ballistic missiles, claiming direct hits on their targets. Saudi Arabia confirmed it had intercepted missiles but stopped short of issuing an official statement on whether the airport was hit or the scale of any damage.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sari said Wednesday (local time) on social media platform X that "the Yemeni armed forces successfully struck King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh with a ballistic missile," adding that the missile "hit its target with precision."

The group also said it carried out an additional strike against a Saudi troop assembly point. Sari said three ballistic missiles were fired at Saudi forces gathered in the Ras al-Ara and al-Mudaraba areas, claiming the strikes caused heavy casualties and disabled multiple military vehicles.

The announcement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted projectiles heading toward Riyadh. Saudi state media reported that debris from the interceptions fell on a residential area, injuring one civilian. The Houthis' claims of a direct hit on the international airport and mass Saudi military casualties could not be independently verified.

King Khalid International Airport has come under repeated attack in recent days. A Houthi strike on Oct. 10 killed 13 multinational civilians and wounded more than 300. The following day, an unidentified projectile struck an airport terminal, causing additional casualties.

The repeated targeting of the capital's main aviation facility has deepened security concerns over Saudi Arabia's civilian airports and key military installations.