Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi armed group, announced on 11/10 that the group had carried out four operations targeting Saudi Arabia within a 24-hour period. These attacks used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"The first operation took place in three phases, targeting King Khalid airport in Riyadh, disrupting air traffic and closing the airport," he stated.
Smoke rising from King Khalid airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 10/10. *Video: X/EGYOSINT*
The Houthi official emphasized these attacks retaliated for "Saudi Arabia's brutal aggression against Yemen and its people". He added that Riyadh had conducted 124 airstrikes on the capital Sanaa and many provinces in Yemen.
King Khalid airport was hit two times last weekend. The first incident on 10/10 resulted in at least 12 deaths, including eight foreign nationals, and 309 injuries. In the 11/10 attack, one Pakistani citizen was killed and 11 people were injured.
Days earlier, a passenger plane belonging to the national airline Saudia also burned, though it was unclear if this was due to a direct missile hit or debris from Saudi air defense firing.
King Khalid airport attacked on 11/10. *Video: X/Makkah*
Houthi also claimed responsibility for an attack on King Fahd airport in Dammam, disrupting operations at the facility. The Saudi civil aviation authority is assessing damage and checking the safety of King Fahd airport following the 11/10 attack.
The Yemeni armed group also targeted the Shugadam gas facility and the Tanajib oil refinery in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province, causing fires. Both facilities are owned by the state oil company Aramco.
These Houthi attacks occurred as the Saudi-led coalition conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets. The coalition aimed to support Yemeni government forces in their counter-offensive to retake areas Houthi controlled in September. However, Yemeni government troops are advancing slowly on the ground, while Houthi continues to tighten its siege on Taiz, the country's third-largest city.
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Location of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. *Graphic: Guardian*
Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemen war in 2015, leading an Arab coalition to push Houthi forces out of the capital Sanaa, which the armed group had seized from government troops one year prior.
The conflict subsequently reached a stalemate, causing hundreds of thousands of Yemenis to die from fighting and famine. Saudi Arabia reached an agreement with Houthi in 2022 to freeze the conflict, but the ceasefire collapsed in July.
Spokesperson Saree further claimed that since the conflict escalated, Saudi Arabia has conducted 2,058 airstrikes on Yemen, killing many, mostly women and children.
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Reuters, Al-Masirah, Al Jazeera)
