AMMAN — Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushayt in the Kingdom’s south-west early on Monday, while Civil Defence issued an emergency alert in nearby Abha before later declaring that the danger had passed, Arab News reported.

 

Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, announced the interception in a post on X.

 

The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defence also issued an alert on X warning of a potential attack on Abha. It later announced that the threat had passed, according to the Riyadh-based news outlet.

 

A fresh Houthi strike hit Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, a day after an attack claimed by the Yemeni group killed at least a dozen people and forced authorities to suspend operations there.

 

The latest developments have renewed attention on south-western Saudi Arabia following a series of attacks targeting the Kingdom’s major airports in Riyadh and Dammam.

 

Khamis Mushayt and Abha, both in the mountainous Asir region, have been targeted by Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks. The group has also targeted Jazan and Najran, two regions bordering Yemen, where the Iran-aligned movement is based.

 

The latest interception comes amid an intensifying campaign targeting Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure, including airports in the Kingdom’s central and eastern regions, Arab News reported.

 

Deadly strikes on Riyadh airport

 

On Sunday, a Pakistani national was killed and 11 others injured when an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, triggering a fire.

 

The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the injured had been taken to hospital and that authorities were assessing the damage.

 

Sunday’s incident was the fourth reported strike on Riyadh airport in five days. Coalition forces also said air defences had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport.

 

The attack followed a missile strike on the capital’s airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, making it the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

 

Footage broadcast by Saudi state television showed scores of religious pilgrims queuing at a gate as they prepared to travel to Islam’s two holiest sites. A bright orange flash sent people fleeing in panic, while parts of the roof appeared to cave in.

 

The airport was closed following the attack.

 

Houthis claim wider attacks

 

The Houthis claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack and said they had also targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the Eastern Province, as well as two facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco.

 

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed that Dammam airport had been targeted on Sunday evening, saying damage assessments and safety inspections were under way.

 

The attacks have heightened concerns over the security of Saudi Arabia’s aviation infrastructure and the risk of further escalation as the Kingdom continues to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its conflict with the Houthis.

 

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed regional tensions and efforts to de-escalate the conflict with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

 

Araqchi said Tehran was ready to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, SPA reported.

 

The diplomatic contacts followed expressions of solidarity with Saudi Arabia from Bahrain, the United Kingdom, Jordan and the European Union after the attacks on Riyadh airport.