Three Saudi nationals killed in Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport

The first attack targeted the airport, while the second struck an aircraft belonging to state carrier Saudia. One of its pilots was among those killed, the airline confirmed. Air traffic has since returned to normal.

Yemen's Houthi group claimed on Thursday it had attacked the airport with two missiles. The Iran-aligned group also said it had targeted an airport in Najran city near the Saudi border and Khamis Mushait air base further north, though Saudi Arabia has not confirmed these additional attacks.

These latest casualties follow the deaths of three people in Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7. Two were killed and 28 wounded in an attack at Abha International Airport, and another person was killed at King Khalid airport.

The attacks come amid an escalation in renewed fighting between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis, who control most of the country's north-west. The Houthi military spokesperson stated the previous attacks were in "response to the Saudi aggression against our country" which saw "60 airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours". The group says it is targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war.

The conflict has worsened in recent weeks after the Houthis seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. However, Yemeni pro-government forces have since claimed to have "secured" the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

A Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to support Yemen's internationally recognized government. A temporary ceasefire brokered in 2022 began to unravel in July, leading to the Houthis announcing a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and initiating missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure.