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Yemen’s Houthi forces warned airlines, passengers and aviation workers Thursday to stay away from areas and airports they had previously identified, saying their presence could put their lives at risk.
The group also warned experts, engineers and workers at Saudi oil facilities to avoid locations it considered targets. The warning covers sites previously targeted as well as other locations the group identified as potential targets, the statement said.
The warning came after reported Saudi airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen’s border district of Al Dhahir.
The Houthis have previously identified King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait Air Base as targets, while also naming sites in Jizan, Asir and Najran. The group has also warned airlines about operating in Saudi airspace.
The Saudi-led coalition said two ballistic missiles had been launched toward the Saudi capital and another toward Khamis Mushait, with all three intercepted. The group then said it had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, claiming the strike caused damage and disrupted air traffic at the airport.
The latest attacks came a day after the Houthis claimed strikes on the targets, while the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting ballistic missiles launched toward the kingdom.
Attacks on Abha and Riyadh airports on Tuesday and Wednesday killed three people and injured 36 others, according to Saudi authorities.
The airport attacks come as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces intensifies along Yemen’s western coast. Government forces have launched a counteroffensive to retake territory seized by the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia providing air support.
The Houthis have also targeted Aden International Airport, which is controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
A missile landed near the runway shortly before a Cairo-bound Yemenia Airways flight was due to arrive, forcing the aircraft to divert to Jeddah, according to Yemeni transport authorities. No casualties were reported in the Aden attack.
The renewed fighting follows a Houthi advance along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and has brought the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait into sharper focus. The conflict has displaced over 200,000 people inside Yemen, according to the United Nations.
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