Attacks on Saudi airports kill 3

Saudi airport strikes leave three dead as Yemen conflict widens

Thebangladaily.com – Attacks on two Saudi airports have killed three people and injured dozens more, deepening concerns that the renewed fighting in Yemen is expanding beyond the country’s borders and placing vital transport infrastructure at risk.

Saudi civil aviation authorities said King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck in one incident, leaving one person dead and eight wounded. A separate attack hit facilities at Abha airport, where two people were killed and 28 others were injured.

One assault took place on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday, although authorities did not specify which airport was targeted on each day. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi movement said the attacks would bring a response.

“Will not go unpunished.”

Late Wednesday, the coalition said it had carried out strikes against more than 80 Houthi military locations in Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib governorates. The Houthis are aligned with Iran, while Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces.

Missile and drone threats

The strikes in Saudi Arabia came during a wider series of attacks on aviation sites. Earlier on Wednesday, the Houthis targeted Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones carrying explosives, Yemen’s transport ministry said.

A missile struck close to the runway only minutes before a flight arriving from Cairo was expected to land. Aden airport is a crucial international link for areas of Yemen that remain outside Houthi control, making disruptions there significant for travel, supplies and government operations.

Saudi Arabia also said its forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh on Wednesday. The coalition said it was monitoring the launch site in Houthi-held Sanaa and intended to destroy it, but released no information about possible damage or casualties connected to that incident.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had used several drones against King Khalid International Airport. The movement has repeatedly launched attacks against Saudi infrastructure, including airports, pipelines and oil-related facilities.

Fighting near a strategic sea route

Combat inside Yemen has increasingly centered on territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The route is important to global shipping and energy trade, especially as tensions between the United States and Iran have constrained movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition aircraft, launched a counteroffensive this week to regain areas close to the strait and around Mocha. The Houthis captured the territory in September. It remains uncertain whether government forces can retain any ground gained during the latest push.

Control near Bab el-Mandeb carries consequences far beyond Yemen’s front lines. Any Houthi ability to influence the strait could create risks for commercial shipping and oil flows, while Saudi Arabia has sought outside assistance to prevent the group from extending its reach.

Turkey is providing primarily defensive and technical support, two officials said Wednesday. The development followed commitments by Turkey and Pakistan to implement a collective-defense obligation within their newly created alliance.

Syria is also weighing possible military support for Saudi Arabia as the confrontation with the Houthis intensifies. Officials familiar with the discussions said options range from defensive assistance aimed at shielding Saudi territory from attacks to sending forces that could support Saudi-backed Yemeni units in offensive operations.

A US official said Saudi Arabia had asked Syria to deploy troops against the Houthis. A Syrian diplomat said Damascus stood firmly with Saudi Arabia in the face of Houthi attacks, while emphasizing that domestic recovery after Syria’s civil war remains the government’s central concern.

Humanitarian crisis worsens

The latest escalation has revived a conflict that has lasted 12 years and contributed to one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies. Yemen, already the Arab world’s poorest country, has been fractured by years of war, shifting alliances and economic hardship.

The International Organization for Migration said the number of people displaced since the newest round of fighting began has exceeded 200,000. Families escaping combat face mounting shortages of food, shelter and safe places to stay.

“People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

Pope called for increased funding as humanitarian needs grow. The United Nations has warned that three out of every four families in parts of Yemen are experiencing hunger. Both sides in the conflict say hundreds have died during the current fighting, though neither has provided a detailed public accounting.

On the western front, clashes remain focused on the Dhubab district, which overlooks the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Pro-government forces are attempting to advance through strategically important hills in the area, while the Houthis seek to hold territory gained during earlier fighting.

The airport attacks underline how the conflict is affecting civilians and infrastructure across a wider region. With military operations continuing around Yemen’s western coast and drone and missile threats reaching Saudi cities, the risk of further disruption remains high.