World
Saudi Arabia reopens airport after Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia has reopened King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following rebel attacks that killed multiple people, as the military coalition claims to have shot down a missile fired at the capital.
Saudi Arabia reopened the international terminals of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday after Houthi attacks. According to sources cited by the press, the attacks left 16 or 17 dead, depending on different reports. The airport closure extended for more than two weeks.
The Houthis attacked Aden and accused Saudi Arabia of causing deaths in Yemen. According to reports, the rebels also warned that Riyadh airport constitutes a military target, in a clear message directed at the reopening of the facility.
The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which has intervened in Yemen since 2015, announced it had shot down a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh by the Houthis, a rebel movement backed by Iran. Saudi air defence claimed multiple interceptions of projectiles during the recent attacks.
King Khalid International Airport had announced on Saturday through a post on social network X that from Sunday onwards domestic flights would resume at terminal 1 and international flights by airlines. The reopening of international terminals marks the end of the operational closure period.
The Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group, have carried out repeated attacks against Saudi infrastructure. The escalation of hostilities continues to characterise the dynamics of the conflict that has affected the region for several years.
The coalition led by Riyadh has maintained military operations in Yemen since 2015, in a long-running intervention against the Houthi rebels and other factions in the region.