Houthis say targeted Riyadh airport, Saudi naval base, airbase

Iran-backed Yemen's Houthi militants on Sunday said they launched attacks targeting Riyadh's international airport hours after its reopening, as well as an airbase and naval base elsewhere in Saudi Arabia.

"The Yemeni armed forces conducted three military operations with dozens of ballistic missiles," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X, saying the strike on the airport "achieved its target".

He added that they targeted King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait and a naval base in Jazan.

Flights resumed at Riyadh's international airport on Sunday following a series of deadly attacks on the facility that saw it closed for two weeks, even as Yemen's Houthis targeted the country with strikes.

King Khalid International Airport's website showed several domestic and international flights scheduled on Sunday, including arrivals to the kingdom from Dubai, Paris and Cairo.

The renewed operations at the airport came as explosions rattled Riyadh early Sunday, after a text message was sent to residents warning of a hostile threat targeting the city.

The airport closure was a major blow for Saudi Arabia, with the kingdom's flagship investment conference postponed until 2027 as residents scrambled to find alternatives to enter and exit the country.

The prestigious motor sport race, the Dakar Rally, also added its name to a long list of events to be cancelled, postponed or relocated amid the fallout from the war.

Saudi officials did not provide additional information when asked by AFP about the scope of the renewed operations at the airport.

But the tracking website Flightradar24 showed a small number of flights had departed, though the vast majority were cancelled.