Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on Thursday 8 October that the group struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. The Houthis are the Iran-aligned movement that controls much of northern Yemen. Saree said the missile "accurately struck its target" and claimed it disrupted air traffic. The claim is not independently verified. It follows a Houthi attack on the same airport on Wednesday that Saudi authorities say killed one person.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said on Thursday that air defences intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles, two aimed at Riyadh and one at Khamis Mushait. On Wednesday he had reported intercepting a missile north of Riyadh. He also said the coalition destroyed a launch platform in Sanaa that had been used against Riyadh and was being prepared for an imminent attack. These are coalition claims and are unverified.
What is confirmed, reported and claimed
FlightRadar24 data showed several dozen international flights bound for Riyadh were cancelled on Thursday evening, and Cirium data showed about half of departures from the airport cancelled by 15:00 GMT. Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Akasa Air cancelled flights to and from Riyadh, and Lufthansa Group suspended its Riyadh flights until 16 October. A witness and three people briefed on the matter told Reuters they saw smoke rising from a stationary aircraft at the airport. The cause has not been established.
Witnesses reported multiple explosions across Riyadh. These accounts are uncorroborated. Saudi Civil Defence said debris from an interception damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex in Riyadh.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed three deaths and 36 injuries at two airports this week. Two women, one Moroccan and one Algerian, died at Abha on Tuesday, and 28 people were wounded. One Sudanese national died at Riyadh on Wednesday, and eight were wounded. These are GACA figures as of 8 October and may change.
Crisis.Zone reported a separate missile attack near Aden airport on Wednesday. The Houthis said their target there was a military camp. Houthi claims against Saudi airports date to at least 20 August, when the group claimed a strike on Najran airport.
Observers are reading: the specific indicators to watch on airline schedules, oil-sector staffing and coalition strikes over the coming days.
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Figures remain unconfirmed and moving
Saudi authorities have not confirmed that a missile struck King Khalid International Airport on 8 October. The 82-target figure is a coalition claim. Casualty and damage figures are still changing. This report will be updated as GACA, Reuters and FlightRadar24 information is released.
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