Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Abha Airport

Shafaq News- Sanaa/ Riyadh

Yemen’s Houthis on Tuesday claimed a ballistic missile strike on Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia that disrupted air traffic, a day after the group announced a broader series of missile and drone attacks across the Kingdom.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the missile struck the airport “directly” and warned international airlines against operating in Saudi airspace, excluding the airspace over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has not commented on the Abha claim, and no casualties or damage have been independently confirmed.

Saree also claimed that Houthi forces fired several ballistic missiles at Saudi military concentrations at Al-Daghareer camp in Jazan, alleging that dozens were killed or wounded. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the attack or the reported casualties.

Meanwhile, GACA announced that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport were targeted in two attacks yesterday evening, leaving three people with minor injuries and causing material damage. The authority did not specify the extent of the damage or identify those responsible.

On Monday, Saree said the Houthis had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport, a military base in Khamis Mushait and other sites in Najran and Jazan with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, describing the operations as a response to Saudi attacks on Yemen.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi, meanwhile, attributed the attacks on the Jazan and Najran airports to the Houthis and condemned them as a “dangerous escalation,” reaffirming the six-member bloc’s support for Saudi Arabia and measures taken to protect its security.

Inside Yemen, forces aligned with the internationally recognized government advanced in Al-Qabaytah and Hayfan and pushed into the mountains of Al-Wazi'iyah, where heavy clashes with Houthi forces were reported west of Taiz, according to Yemen Today.

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