Houthis claim attacks on Saudi airports and oil sites; impact remains unclear
The group named airports, a refinery and an oil pipeline as targets on October 24. Saudi authorities had not confirmed whether the reported attacks hit them.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed on October 24 that they had launched attacks on airports and oil infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, raising concern for air travel and energy facilities. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the claims, and it was unclear whether the reported attacks hit their targets or were intercepted, Reuters reported.
Airports and oil facilities named as targets
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and an airport in Najran. He also named an air base near Khamis Mushait, according to ABC News and TASS. His account identifies intended targets; it does not establish damage at any of them.
Saree said the oil targets included a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, crude pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline. TASS reported that he described seven operations involving ballistic missiles and drones. Those details, including the number of operations and weapons used, are his claims.
The Saudi-led coalition reported responding to falling debris near oil sites but did not directly address the Houthi statements, ABC News reported. That response does not establish whether the named facilities were struck. Saree also claimed that an attack halted air traffic at Dammam airport, according to TASS; Saudi authorities had not confirmed the reported disruption.
Flight suspensions and fighting in Yemen
Air India and Air India Express suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam through November 7, and services to and from Jeddah through October 31, citing the regional situation, Hindustan Times reported. The airline suspensions show a practical effect on travellers, although they do not verify the Houthis’ account of damage or disruption at specific airports.
The claims came amid fighting across the border in Yemen. The internationally recognised Yemeni government’s Interior Ministry said three Houthi missiles were fired at coast guard sites in Aden, with two striking a headquarters and a third hitting a building in the Tawahi district, France 24 reported. The Houthis separately claimed they had targeted military gatherings and a naval base in Aden; the Saudi-led coalition did not immediately comment on that assertion.
Saudi airstrikes killed 16 people in Sanaa, Hindustan Times reported, citing an AFP account based on Houthi media. That casualty figure remains attributed to those accounts. The simultaneous claims of attacks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen mark a widening set of reported targets, while the immediate effects at the Saudi sites remain unconfirmed.
Read in depth: World
DR Congo Ebola response faces growing strain as Kenya contacts near end of quarantine
UN agencies say the outbreak has reached eight Congolese provinces, while some contacts linked to Kenya’s first case are due to finish quarantine on Sunday.
Storm Austen amber warning in force as schools close and ferries are cancelled
An amber wind warning is in force in south-west England on Friday, with gusts of up to 80 mph forecast in exposed areas and some services already affected.
Sources and context
- Houthis claim 'phases' of attacks on Saudi airports, oil pipelinesABC News (Reuters reporting)
- Houthis launch attacks on Aramco facilities, airports in Saudi ArabiaTASS
- Saudi oil facilities, airports targeted in fresh Houthi attacks; Air India's Riyadh, Dammam flights remain suspendedHindustan Times (Reuters reporting; also cites AFP)
- Yemen's Houthi rebels claim new attacks on oil facilities and airports across Saudi ArabiaFrance 24 (Reuters; syndicated from Reuters-origin reporting)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.