Smoke was visible near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh after the Houthi group carried out a series of strikes against Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Reports of two blasts near the city centre coincided with flight disruptions at local airports.
The Houthis claimed to have struck installations in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, describing them as high-value locations. The organisation reported deploying a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles during the strikes.
A Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh was reported to have been intercepted and neutralised by air defence systems. Footage captured a column of smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport following the second blast.
An aerial threat notice for Riyadh had been issued by authorities beforehand. A statement was subsequently released confirming that the threat had subsided. According to available reports, this was the first such notice issued for Riyadh following a rise in hostilities involving the Houthis.
According to available reports, Houthi forces struck fuel storage facilities at the airport, producing thick columns of smoke. No casualties or property destruction had been reported in Riyadh at that point.
The group's armed wing spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, announced that two separate operations had been carried out. The first strike targeted locations in Riyadh described as sensitive sites. The second strike hit an Aramco installation in Yanbu, a port and industrial centre on the Red Sea, with Sarea stating that both operations had achieved their objectives.
Reports indicated that substantial fires had ignited at the locations under attack. Those assertions could not be confirmed through independent sources.
Forces aligned with the Saudi-led coalition reported that an incoming ballistic projectile aimed at Riyadh had been brought down by defensive systems. Attempted strikes on Baish, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu were reportedly intercepted and repelled.
The coalition's representative, Turki Al-Maliki, described the strikes as having been directed at non-combatants and non-military infrastructure. Saudi Arabia also pledged to implement unspecified countermeasures should such incidents occur again.
The Houthi group stated it had not intentionally targeted non-combatants. Sarea described the operations as a reaction to escalating aerial bombardment by Saudi forces targeting Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. He pledged to maintain what he described as a reciprocal escalation approach until aerial bombardment by Saudi forces ceases and restrictions imposed on Yemen are removed.
Hostilities in the latest phase of the conflict broke out in mid-July following attacks on the airport in Sanaa, which is under Houthi control. The air raids occurred while an Iranian commercial aircraft transporting a high-level Houthi delegation was en route from Iran. The Houthis attributed the strikes to Saudi Arabia's involvement.
Missile and drone strikes were subsequently carried out as a counter-response. A prohibition on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia passing through the Bab el-Mandab Strait was declared by the group on 20 July. Responsibility for a number of assaults on Saudi Arabian tankers and petroleum infrastructure has been attributed to the group.
