Saudi Arabia’s military said on Tuesday it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels towards the Khamis Mushait airbase, as the kingdom faced a fresh wave of attacks targeting its airports and other locations.
The Saudi-led coalition spokesperson, Turki Al-Maliki, announced the interception in a post on X, saying the missiles had been launched towards Khamis Mushait by what he described as the “terrorist Houthi militia”.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency had earlier urged residents in Khamis Mushait Governorate to remain vigilant about a potential threat. It later said the danger had passed and advised people to follow safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming security incidents.
The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed they had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and carried out a drone operation against Khamis Mushait Air Base. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the missile strike on the airport was precise and the drone operation had directly hit its target. The claims were not independently verified.
The rebel-run Al-Masirah television also reported multiple airstrikes in Yemen on Tuesday. It said two strikes hit the Houthi-held Red Sea island of Kamaran; another struck Qanawis district, northwest of the port city of Hodeida; and further strikes occurred in Jawf province, which borders Saudi Arabia. The channel blamed Saudi Arabia for the attacks but provided no further details.
The Houthis also claimed to have shot down a Saudi drone over Saada province in northern Yemen, near the Saudi border. Saudi Arabia had not immediately commented on the reported strikes.
The latest developments followed reports of air raid sirens in Riyadh on Monday evening and explosions heard by residents. The Houthis have warned international airlines and travellers against operating flights to Saudi airports, claiming they were unsafe, while exempting airports and airspace in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
US President Donald Trump criticised the Houthis over the escalating attacks, describing the group as “misbehaving very badly”.
Asked on Monday whether the attacks were connected to the US midterm elections, Trump said he did not know how they would affect the vote and that he was not taking the elections into account.
“I just know Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, before repeating his criticism of the Houthis.
Trump had earlier said Washington would consider joining Saudi Arabia in military operations against the rebels following the latest reported attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Asked about the incident at the White House on Saturday, he said the administration would review the situation before making a decision.
The attacks have drawn condemnation and expressions of solidarity from regional leaders. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the reported Houthi strike on Riyadh airport after chairing a cabinet meeting in Ankara, according to Al Jazeera. He expressed condolences for those killed, including people performing the Umrah pilgrimage, and wished the hundreds of wounded a speedy recovery.
“Turkiye stands with Saudi Arabia and our Saudi brothers and sisters in the face of these attacks that violate law and humanity,” Erdogan said, calling for peace and stability across the region.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, also called for renewed joint Gulf action, particularly on security and defence. In a post on X, he said the attacks had demonstrated that the security of Gulf states was indivisible and that strikes against Saudi Arabia also threatened the UAE and other Gulf nations.
Gargash urged Gulf countries to strengthen their collective security framework, saying the region’s security was a shared responsibility that required urgent attention.
Separately, the US Embassy in Riyadh warned that American citizens had been detained for photographing recent security incidents in Saudi Arabia. The embassy did not specify how many people had been detained or whether they had been released.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Monday to discuss regional developments, as diplomatic contacts continued amid the escalating tensions.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)