Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Oct 8: Three people were killed and 36 others wounded in attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia as fighting between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces intensified, the country's civil aviation authorities said on Wednesday.
One person was killed and eight others were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while two people were killed and 28 wounded in an attack targeting facilities at Abha airport. The authorities did not specify which attack occurred on Tuesday and which took place on Wednesday.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis vowed retaliation, saying the attacks "will not go unpunished". The coalition later said it had struck more than 80 Houthi military sites across Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib.
The airport attacks came amid a wider series of strikes targeting aviation infrastructure. In Yemen, the Houthis attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. Yemen's Transport Ministry said a missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land.
Fighting in Yemen has recently centred around areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route that has gained greater importance for energy exports amid restrictions on trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi-led coalition air support, launched a counteroffensive this week to recapture strategic territory near the strait and around Mocha, which the Houthis captured in September. However, the durability of the advance remains uncertain.
The renewed fighting has revived Yemen's long-running conflict, which has contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest round of fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi infrastructure, including airports, oil refineries and pipelines. The Saudi-led coalition also said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh and was tracking its launch platform in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with several drones.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has sought international support as fighting continues around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Turkey is providing mainly defensive and technical assistance, while Syria is considering possible military support to Saudi Arabia, according to officials.
The Houthis seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention over concerns about Iran's influence and instability along Saudi Arabia's border. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Iran of arming and supporting the Houthis, while the Houthis and Tehran deny the allegations.