Explosions heard in Riyadh before airport reopening
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen
Three explosions were heard in Riyadh as King Khalid International Airport was due to resume flights after two weeks of closure. Authorities warned residents of an aerial threat, while Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree again described the airport as a military target, according to AFP.
Three explosions were heard at dawn on Sunday in Riyadh as King Khalid International Airport was due to reopen after two weeks of closure caused by attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, AFP reported. Residents received alerts telling them to take shelter in the face of a hostile aerial threat.
The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh as well as two drones in the capital region, according to a statement published on X. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, for his part, described the airport as a military target and said it was dangerous for travellers and airlines.
The Houthis said they had targeted three Saudi airports, energy facilities, an oil pipeline and an airbase within 24 hours. An attack on Riyadh airport this month killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the heaviest toll recorded in the kingdom in more than a decade, according to AFP.
The explosions come after the interception of a Houthi ballistic missile towards Riyadh, announced on 24 October, and the attacks claimed by the Houthis against Saudi sites on the same day. They also follow the evacuation of non-essential staff from the US embassy in Riyadh and from the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, announced on 22 October.
