More than 100 flights out of Riyadh were cancelled on Thursday after Yemen's Houthi rebels said they struck the Saudi capital's main airport with a ballistic missile. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two missiles over the city, but fragments still damaged a clinic and a kindergarten. The escalation comes as Turkey, Pakistan and possibly Syria weigh deeper military involvement on Saudi Arabia's side.
Booms rang out over Riyadh on Thursday morning, and more than 100 flights from the capital were cancelled as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia. Several multinational firms based in Riyadh's financial district told staff to work from home after the booms, according to people familiar with the matter, and the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport.
Flights grounded across Riyadh
By mid-afternoon, 169 of 378 scheduled departures had been cancelled, more than 40% of the day's services, according to data from Cirium. Saudia alone cancelled 97 of its 140 scheduled departures, while Turkish Airlines scrapped all four of its planned flights and carriers including Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Flynas and Flyadeal pulled about a third of theirs. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted two missiles over the capital, but fragments from the interception still damaged a medical clinic complex and a kindergarten, according to Saudi civil defence officials.
Civilian toll mounts
The strikes follow a week of deadlier attacks on Saudi airports. Saudi authorities said three people had been killed this week in strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports.
A Sudanese man was killed and seven others injured in Wednesday's attack on King Khalid airport. Two women were killed and 30 people injured in Tuesday's strike on Abha airport in the southwest.
War draws in foreign forces
This conflict, now an overspill of the US-Iran war, threatens to pull in other states. Syria is considering deploying troops to assist Saudi Arabia, though a Syrian diplomat said Damascus stands firmly with Saudi Arabia while its focus remains on domestic priorities such as recovery from its own civil war.
Turkey said it is sending mainly defensive and technical support to the kingdom, expected to take the form of military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems. Pakistan has flown military equipment to Aden in southern Yemen, according to sources in Pakistan, and has deployed troops inside Saudi Arabia to help defend its borders.
Yemen's civil war, paused by a 2022 ceasefire, reignited last month after the Houthis seized stretches of the Red Sea coast, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Riyadh has pushed allied nations, including Turkey and Pakistan, for support as it tries to reverse those Houthi gains in southwest Yemen.
Sources: CNBC, Financial Times
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