RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Two airports in southern Saudi Arabia came under attack Monday evening. Three people suffered minor injuries, and the attacks caused material damage.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attacks hit King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport.
Emergency teams responded at both airports. GACA said authorities were checking the damage and working to protect passengers and airport staff. However, the authority did not say who carried out the attacks.
The attacks came as Yemen’s internationally recognized government stepped up its fight against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia and its allies are supporting the government forces.
Houthis Claim Wider Attacks
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry blamed the Houthis for the attacks on the two airports. It called the strikes an escalation that threatens civilians and civil aviation.
The General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers also blamed the Houthis.
Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed a wider series of missile and drone attacks against targets in southern Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted airports and military sites.
Saree also claimed an attack on Abha International Airport. However, Saudi authorities had not confirmed that claim.
Yemen Offensive Expands
The airport attacks followed the launch of Operation Dawn of Yemen on Oct. 4.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council launched the operation to regain territory held by the Houthis. The government also said it wants to restore state control.
President Rashad al-Alimi reviewed the operation and battlefield developments on Tuesday.
Yemeni military authorities said government forces had captured Dhubab district in western Taiz province. They also said troops had reached positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Yemeni Armed Forces made a further claim. They said government forces had taken control of Bab el-Mandeb and Dhubab Airport.
They also said their forces had cut a road linking Dhubab with Mokha.
However, JournosNews could not independently verify those battlefield claims.
Fighting Spreads Around Bab el-Mandeb
The Saudi-led coalition has confirmed its support for the Yemeni government offensive.
On Tuesday, the coalition said its naval forces carried out an operation in Hodeidah province. It said the operation targeted Houthi military facilities, weapons storage sites, explosive-laden boats and naval mines.
The coalition said the operation also aimed to protect shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
In addition, the coalition said its forces destroyed a ballistic-missile launch platform in Sanaa. It also said they destroyed a storage facility in Saada containing 20 ballistic missiles.
JournosNews could not independently verify those claims.
The fighting now stretches across several areas. It is taking place inside Yemen and on Saudi territory. It is also reaching the waters around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly warned about Houthi attacks on its territory and vessels. Riyadh has also warned about threats to shipping in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.
On Oct. 5, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the Houthis had attacked civilian and economic facilities. It also said Houthi forces had targeted Saudi vessels in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb.
The latest airport attacks show that the renewed fighting is affecting civilian infrastructure outside Yemen.
At the same time, the fighting around Bab el-Mandeb could create wider risks for civil aviation, maritime navigation and regional security.
For now, Saudi authorities have confirmed three key facts: two airports were attacked, three people suffered minor injuries and the facilities sustained material damage.
They have not announced a permanent closure of either airport.
Reporting Credit: Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation; Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen; Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates; Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council; Yemeni Armed Forces; Houthi military authorities; official civil aviation and security statements.
