Air-raid sirens sounded across Riyadh for the first time in months, while emergency alerts warned residents to stay indoors and away from windows as a hostile aerial threat triggered alerts across multiple regions.
King Khalid International Airport Hit by Missile Strike
Sophisticated missile defense systems activated during the early morning hours, but at least one projectile evaded interception and struck a fuel storage tank on the outskirts of the King Khalid International Airport complex on the outskirts of the airport complex. A Reuters camera crew confirmed footage of a large pillar of black smoke rising over the premises, and flames were visible from behind damaged infrastructure behind what appeared to be fuel storage infrastructure.
Saudi Civil Defense later declared the all-clear, and authorities released no immediate casualty figures from the airport incident. The kingdom maintained its pattern of cautious public communication regarding successful strikes, contrasting sharply with its expansive announcements of interception successes concerning previous air defense operations.
Simultaneous Attacks Across Red Sea Port Cities and Regional Infrastructure
Beyond the capital, the Saudi-led coalition confirmed that the Houthis also targeted civilian infrastructure in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, where a key Saudi pipeline ends, as well as Taif, Baysh, and Farasan giving no further details on those thwarted strikes. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the operation in a video message.
Yahya Saree, Houthi military spokesperson
Saree asserted that the group carried out two significant military operations using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones against the Saudi capital and oil facilities. He denied that the strikes targeted civilians, claiming instead that civilian casualties were the results of failed intercept attempts by Saudi defense forces during the active engagement. The statement by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the dawn attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted. Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion, and later, some saw a plume of smoke near the airport with no reports of casualties or damage initially released by the coalition. The Houthis earlier claimed, without providing evidence, that they had targeted sensitive sites
in Riyadh and facilities of Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, causing “massive fires.” Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, did not respond to a request for comment. The growing conflict near another important global shipping corridor has brought new pressures for markets. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed they attacked with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones. He said Saudi Arabia had attempted to target the rebel-held city of Sanaa in neighboring Yemen, without giving details, while The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims. Recent days have seen one escalation after another, including Thursday when the first civilian casualty was reported as the Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said the Houthis had tried to attack Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, with a drone that it said was intercepted, calling the security of the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad a “red line,” an accusation the Houthis fiercely denied.
Energy Transit Pressures and the UN Security Council Response
The strike on Riyadh’s airport fuel depot compounds existing vulnerabilities across Saudi energy export routes. The Strait of Hormuz remains restricted under the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, and the recent Houthi seizure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait closed a vital Red Sea bypass that served as the last functioning alternative. Meanwhile, regional officials reported that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has requested air defense support from France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to bolster its defensive posture.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning in the strongest terms the continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia including assaults on civilian and energy infrastructure that have injured civilians, while also condemning the broader military escalation in Yemen as hostilities intensify across multiple fronts.
Продолжение темы
