A person inspects the damage at the site of a warehouse hit by Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen, Oct. 9 2026.EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile headed toward the southwestern city of Khamis Mushayt early on Oct. 12, the Saudi-led coalition said, following two days of deadly attacks on Riyadh’s main airport.
Authorities also briefly urged residents of nearby Abha to take shelter before announcing that the danger had passed. The Civil Defense Directorate did not disclose the cause of the alert.
Yemen’s government forces said on Oct. 11 that they had carried out 1,732 operations against Houthi military targets as part of the “Dawn of Yemen” offensive.
Army spokesman Col. Majed al-Nazili said more than 900 Houthi fighters had been “neutralized” and more than 287 military vehicles and pieces of equipment destroyed or disabled.
Warplanes, drones, artillery and rocket launchers had targeted fortifications, command centers and ammunition depots, he said.
The army gave no dates or locations for the operations and no casualty breakdown. There was no immediate Houthi response.
The latest developments followed attacks on Saudi airports and a joint demand by Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for an “immediate and unconditional” halt to Houthi attacks on the kingdom.
In their Oct. 11 statement, the four countries described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of international law. They backed legitimate Saudi measures to counter the attacks and protect civilians, in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law.
A Pakistani national was killed and 11 people were injured in the Oct. 11 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said. The coalition said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4, causing a fire.
The previous day’s attack left 309 people injured, according to Saudi authorities. Its death toll rose to 13 after an injured Indian national died on Oct. 11.
The aviation authority also reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on the evening of Oct. 11.
The Iran-backed Houthis have warned airlines, airport workers and passengers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, declaring them targets for military operations while excluding the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Despite the attacks and flight disruptions, organizers of the World Petroleum Congress and the Future Investment Initiative said both Riyadh events would proceed as planned.
