Houthis attack Riyadh airport; Saudi Arabia suspends flights

Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for explosions at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, prompting immediate closure of the facility and widespread flight cancellations. The Saudi-led coalition's military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh and one directed at Khamis Mushait in the southwest. Debris from the interceptions damaged a kindergarten and medical complex, though Saudi civil defense reported no casualties from the debris. One person died and at least eight were wounded in the airport attack itself, according to reports.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled following the attack. Major carriers suspended operations to Riyadh through mid-October: Air India halted flights through Saturday, Lufthansa Group suspended services through October 16, and Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India Express cancelled flights through October 10. An Air India flight en route from Delhi was diverted mid-flight over the Arabian Sea. The Indian Embassy issued an advisory for Indian citizens to remain alert, stay indoors as needed, and follow official guidance from local authorities.

The Houthis, through military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed they fired ballistic and cruise missiles at airports in Riyadh and Najran, calling Saudi airspace a theater for military operations. Earlier, the rebels had warned global airlines "for the last time" about operating in Saudi airspace and warned residents to avoid oil facilities they identified as targets. The attacks came a day after Houthi strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports that killed three people—the first deaths since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major military offensive to retake territory the Houthis seized a month ago along Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The blasts immediately affected global markets, with crude oil prices jumping. A U.S. Embassy security alert warned citizens of potential airspace closures and instructed U.S. government employees not to travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border. International condemnation followed from Britain, India, the United Arab Emirates, and others. Turkey and Pakistan assessed possible air defense and electronic warfare assistance under a trilateral agreement, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasizing the arrangement was defensive and not offensive. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned targeting civilian infrastructure as "completely unacceptable" and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.