# Houthi Missile Strikes on Saudi Airports Kill Over Twenty

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched a devastating series of ballistic missile and drone attacks on three Saudi Arabian airports between October 6 and 12, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 380 others in the deadliest assault on the kingdom since 2015. The coordinated strikes targeted Abha International Airport near the Yemen border and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, demonstrating the Houthis' expanding reach and technical capabilities as the Middle East conflict widens.

The first attack struck Abha International Airport on October 6, with Houthi missiles and drones hitting the facility located in southwestern Saudi Arabia's Asir region. Days later, the rebels escalated their campaign by targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, approximately 560 miles from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. A missile struck a passenger terminal on Saturday October 10, killing thirteen people and wounding more than three hundred. The airport was hit again the following day, with another projectile impacting terminal facilities as terrified travelers scrambled for safety.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attacks forced temporary suspensions of international flights and caused extensive damage to airport infrastructure. The kingdom's air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and multiple drones during the assault, but several projectiles penetrated defensive screens to strike their targets. The casualties included foreign nationals from several countries, highlighting the international implications of Yemen's civil war spilling across borders.

The October attacks represent the deadliest series of strikes on Saudi territory since the Qatif and Dammam mosque bombings in May 2015, which killed dozens in attacks claimed by the Islamic State. The assaults also mark the most lethal attacks on any Gulf Arab state since the beginning of the 2026 Iran war, underscoring how regional conflicts are interconnecting and escalating. Saudi officials condemned the Houthi actions as war crimes targeting civilian infrastructure and vowed swift military retaliation.

On October 25, Saudi Arabia announced it had reopened King Khalid International Airport for international flights after more than two weeks of closure following the devastating strikes. The kingdom said it had successfully intercepted and destroyed Houthi ballistic missiles and drones in subsequent attack attempts, though the rebels have vowed to continue targeting Saudi infrastructure until the kingdom ends its involvement in Yemen's civil war and lifts its blockade of Houthi-controlled territories.

The Houthi rebels, officially known as Ansar Allah, have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa and much of the country's north since 2014, when they overthrew the internationally recognized government. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government since 2015, conducting air strikes and maintaining a naval blockade aimed at preventing Iranian weapons shipments to the Houthis. The conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions of Yemenis facing food insecurity and limited access to medical care.

Iran's support for the Houthis includes advanced missile and drone technology that has dramatically expanded the rebels' strike capabilities over the past decade. The sophisticated weapons used in the October airport attacks demonstrate technical knowledge and manufacturing capacity that Western intelligence agencies attribute to Iranian training and components. Tehran denies directly arming the Houthis but acknowledges providing "advisory" support to the movement, which shares Iran's Shia Islamic ideology and opposition to Saudi Arabia's regional influence.

The airport attacks come amid intensifying fighting between Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels, with both sides launching offensives to capture strategic territory. The Yemeni government reported targeting Houthi positions in Taiz and Kahbub provinces as it seeks to break the rebels' control of key supply routes. The escalation threatens to further destabilize the Arabian Peninsula and complicate efforts to contain the broader Middle East crisis involving Iran, Israel, and their respective allies.