Houthis claim missile attack on Riyadh airport, drone strike on Saudi air base in Khamis Mushait

The Houthi group claimed Monday evening that it had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and the Khamis Mushait air base in southern Saudi Arabia with a drone.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on US social media company X that the group had fired a ballistic missile at the airport, claiming the strike was “accurate.”

Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced the “interception and destruction of a ballistic missile” launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, without providing further details.

The coalition’s announcement coincided with Saudi Civil Defense declaring that the danger had passed in Riyadh, minutes after issuing an early warning over a potential danger.

In the same statement, Saree said the group had also carried out a drone attack on the Khamis Mushait air base, claiming a “direct hit.”

There was no immediate Saudi comment on the claim concerning the air base.

Saree renewed the group’s warning to airlines, employees and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, claiming they were “unsafe,” while excluding airports and airspace in Mecca and Medina.

Saudi Arabia has faced a series of attacks on airports and civilian facilities in recent days amid an escalating military confrontation with the Houthis.