Saudi Arabia says two airports in the south of the kingdom were hit in attacks linked to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, leaving three people lightly injured and causing damage to airport facilities.
The attacks on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jizan and Najran International Airport came as fighting intensified in Yemen, with Saudi-backed government forces mounting a major offensive against the Houthis along the Red Sea coast.
The developments mark another sharp escalation in a conflict that has increasingly threatened major regional transport and energy routes.
Two Saudi Airports Damaged
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the two airports were attacked on Monday, Oct. 5.
The authority said the strikes caused material damage and left three people with minor injuries. It said specialised teams responded immediately and that authorities were assessing the damage while taking measures to protect passengers and airport employees.
The attacks occurred near the Saudi-Yemeni border, an area that has repeatedly been targeted during the long-running conflict between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and the Houthis.
The Houthis had earlier claimed responsibility for a broader series of attacks against Saudi targets, saying they had launched missiles and drones at airports and military installations.
However, not all of the group’s claims could be independently verified.
The Houthis said they had also targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait military base. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm those additional claims.
Another Airport Attack Claimed
On Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said the group had launched another attack toward Abha International Airport.
The Associated Press said it could not confirm whether the airport had actually been struck, while Saudi authorities had not immediately commented on the claim.
Saudi forces also said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Khamis Mushait, a southwestern Saudi city that hosts a major military base.
The competing claims highlight the difficulty of independently verifying battlefield developments as the conflict rapidly expands across Yemen and into neighbouring Saudi territory.
Fighting Intensifies Along Yemen’s Red Sea Coast
The airport attacks came as Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, launched a major counteroffensive against the Houthis.
Government-aligned forces said they had captured the strategic port city of Mocha and positions around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have disputed those claims, saying they remain in control of Mocha.
Independent reporting has confirmed that intense fighting is taking place around the southern Bab al-Mandeb region, but the exact control of some areas remains contested.
Saudi-backed forces are seeking to push the Houthis away from the strategic waterway, which is particularly important because global shipping has already been disrupted by the wider Middle East conflict.
The Saudi-led coalition has provided air support to the Yemeni government offensive. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said about 100 fighter jets were supporting the operation and that Saudi forces had struck Houthi military positions.
The coalition also said it destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Sanaa and a storage facility in Saada that contained 20 ballistic missiles.
Bab al-Mandeb Becomes a Key Flashpoint
The fighting has placed renewed attention on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most important shipping passages, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and providing a route between Europe and Asia.
Its importance has increased further amid the wider regional conflict and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Any prolonged fighting near Bab al-Mandeb could therefore have consequences well beyond Yemen, particularly for commercial shipping, energy supplies and insurance costs.
The Houthis have previously attacked commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea, arguing that their actions were linked to the war in Gaza. The latest escalation has raised fresh concerns over whether shipping through the region could again face serious disruption.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye Activate Defence Pact
The escalation has also prompted Saudi Arabia to seek stronger military coordination with regional partners.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye agreed to activate deterrence measures under a mutual defence arrangement known as the Makkah defence pact.
The countries said they would move toward providing military forces and capabilities and ensuring their rapid deployment to Saudi Arabia in response to attacks.
The exact size and composition of any deployment remained unclear, and parliamentary approval is still required in Pakistan and Türkiye before the agreement can be fully ratified.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the countries had reaffirmed their solidarity in confronting attacks against the kingdom and its holy sites.
The agreement represents a significant diplomatic development as Riyadh faces renewed Houthi attacks after years of efforts to reduce tensions with the group.
Wider Middle East Conflict Adds to the Risk
The renewed fighting in Yemen is unfolding against the backdrop of a much broader Middle East conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
The escalation has already affected major waterways, energy infrastructure and aviation across the region.
On Monday, an outbound tanker travelling through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, according to the British military. No casualties or environmental damage were immediately reported.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Gaza, where Palestinian officials reported two deaths from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City.
Israeli authorities said the strikes targeted militants. Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 1,460 Palestinians had been killed since the latest ceasefire, although its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The overlapping conflicts have created a volatile security environment stretching from the Gulf and Red Sea to Israel, Gaza and Yemen.
Airports and Shipping Routes Under Growing Pressure
For Saudi Arabia, the latest airport attacks underline the growing security challenge posed by the renewed Houthi offensive.
The country’s aviation authority said it was taking steps to maintain the safety of passengers and staff while assessing damage at the affected airports.
For the wider region, however, the consequences could extend beyond aviation.
With the Bab al-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz both facing heightened security risks, governments and shipping companies are watching closely for further attacks that could disrupt one of the world’s most important networks for moving oil, fuel and consumer goods.
The immediate battlefield picture remains fluid, with both sides making competing claims over territory and military successes.
What is clear is that the latest attacks on Saudi airports have brought the Yemen conflict into another dangerous phase — one in which the fighting is once again threatening critical civilian infrastructure and strategic international transport routes.
