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Explosions rang out in Riyadh on Sunday as King Khalid International Airport moved to resume flights after a two-week closure, while Yemen’s Houthis warned the Riyadh airport remains a "military target."
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones fired toward the capital, a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait and 10 ballistic missiles launched at the kingdom’s southern region.
The airport said flights would resume Sunday after the closure that followed Houthi strikes, but it remained unclear to what extent it was operational.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the facility was still "unsafe."
"The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines, as well as staff and travelers, against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces," he said.
"The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport," Saree added.
A Houthi attack on the airport this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.
The airport said Saturday that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights and Terminal 2 would handle international flights by national carriers starting Oct. 25. Passengers were advised to check with airlines before traveling.
An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist heard three explosions in Riyadh early Sunday, as residents received alerts about a "hostile aerial threat" urging them to stay in a safe place.
"Air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh," the coalition posted on X.
"A cruise missile launched by the Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait was intercepted and destroyed," coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said later.
Al-Maliki then announced the "interception and destruction of 10 ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards the southern region."
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Warnings were also issued for the governorates of Abha and Namas.
"The bombardment has been very heavy since this morning, may Allah keep us safe. Everything is shaking because of the explosions," a Khamis Mushait resident told AFP.
The Houthis said they targeted three Saudi airports, including Riyadh’s, as well as energy installations, a pipeline and an air base within 24 hours.
The fighting erupted after a years-long truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government collapsed, and the Houthis seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in an offensive last month.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2015. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa since 2014.
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