> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Kill Three Civilians - URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/houthi-attacks-on-saudi-airports-kill-three-civilians/ - Published: 2026-10-08T08:44:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T08:44:35.000Z - Description: Three foreign nationals were killed and 36 people wounded when Houthi attacks struck airports in Riyadh and Abha. Saudi Arabia retaliated against more than 80 sites in Yemen as the conflict spread from coastal battlefields to civilian aviation infrastructure. - Author: TGV Desk - Tags: Houthis, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Riyadh, King Khalid International Airport, Bab el-Mandeb, Middle East Conflict, Live Wire, The Day So Far, has-audio Houthi attacks on two Saudi Arabian airports have killed three civilians and wounded 36 others, marking the deadliest assault on the kingdom’s aviation infrastructure since the latest phase of the Yemen war began. The attacks struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia across Tuesday and Wednesday. Two female residents - one Moroccan and one Algerian, were killed at Abha airport, while 28 other people were wounded. A Sudanese national was killed at King Khalid airport, where eight people were injured, including five Saudi citizens. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said it was working with security agencies to assess the damage and protect passengers and airport employees. Authorities did not initially identify the weapons responsible or directly attribute the attacks. The Houthis claimed both strikes. Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid airport with several drones. The movement has separately used ballistic and cruise missiles against Saudi airports, oil facilities and military bases during the renewed fighting. On Thursday, the Houthis claimed another ballistic-missile attack against King Khalid airport. Saudi Arabia had not immediately confirmed that the latest missile reached its target or caused further casualties. The attacks represent a serious escalation because both facilities serve civilian passengers. King Khalid is the principal airport for the Saudi capital and one of the kingdom’s busiest international gateways. Abha airport serves the densely populated Asir region and lies considerably closer to the Yemeni border. Saudi Arabia said the attacks would not go unanswered. The Saudi-led coalition subsequently struck more than 80 Houthi military sites across Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib, targeting weapons facilities, launch positions and other infrastructure. Saudi air defences also intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh. The coalition said it had tracked the missile’s launch platform inside Houthi-controlled Sanaa and intended to destroy it. The airport strikes come as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces conduct a [major counteroffensive along the Bab el-Mandeb coast](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/yemeni-forces-retake-bab-el-mandeb-coast-from-houthis/). Government forces say they have recovered Mocha, Dhubab and several positions overlooking the strait after reversing recent Houthi advances but the claim has not been independently verified. Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and carries trade moving between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Its importance has grown as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz forces greater reliance on alternative Saudi oil-export routes. The Houthis have responded to the offensive by expanding attacks inside Saudi Arabia and targeting Aden airport, which is controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognised government. A civilian flight approaching Aden was diverted after explosions near the runway, although no casualties were reported there. --- The widening threat has prompted Riyadh to [activate defence consultations with Türkiye and Pakistan](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/saudi-arabia-activates-defence-pact-consultations-over-houthi-attacks/). Türkiye is providing intelligence, air-defence assistance, drone operators and logistical support, while Pakistan has pledged military cooperation without publicly detailing its deployment. Syria is also [considering possible military assistance for Saudi Arabia](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/syria-weighs-military-assistance-saudi-arabia/), although Damascus denies deciding to send troops into Yemen. The escalation is deepening Yemen’s humanitarian emergency. More than 200,000 people have been displaced during the latest fighting, while aid agencies warn that families are fleeing without reliable access to food, shelter or medical care. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and removed the internationally recognised government from the capital. A UN-mediated truce beginning in 2022 sharply reduced cross-border attacks but failed to produce a permanent political settlement. The deaths at Riyadh and Abha show how rapidly that period of restraint has collapsed. The conflict is no longer confined to Yemen’s battlefields or Red Sea shipping lanes. Civilian airports deep inside Saudi Arabia have again become targets, increasing the risk of an expanding regional war.