Saudi Arabia Says It Intercepted 10 Ballistic Missiles and Projectiles Heading Toward Riyadh and the South
Key Facts
Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed 10 ballistic missiles launched toward the southern region, while the Saudi military spokesman said air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh on Oct. 25. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the coalition also intercepted a drone in the Riyadh region and a cruise missile heading toward Khamis Mushait. The official statements described the wave of interceptions by location and type of projectile, without linking them to attacks on energy facilities or airports that day. At the same time, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reopened Terminals 1 and 2 for domestic and international flights from Sunday, according to the Associated Press. The resumption of traffic came as the agency reported that the Houthis continued to launch missiles and drones toward Riyadh.
Reuters reported that Saudi civil defense issued emergency alerts in Riyadh, Abha and Khamis Mushait, then announced minutes later that the danger had passed. The alerts differ from the interception statements published by Saudi authorities, but indicate which cities were covered by warnings that day. In a separate statement, the Saudi Press Agency said parts of two intercepted missiles fell in Wadi al-Maghmas in Mecca, while shrapnel fell in Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh on Oct. 24. These events place the Oct. 25 interceptions among consecutive days that saw projectiles launched and intercepted, with shrapnel falling in multiple locations. The statements available did not provide a toll for damage or injuries linked to the Oct. 25 interceptions.
The reopening of the two terminals followed an earlier suspension of airport traffic, with flights resuming gradually. Reuters said King Khalid International Airport halted operations on Oct. 10, following an attack claimed by the Houthis that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to the report. The Associated Press said attacks in early October hit a complex containing two other airport buildings, killing 17 people and injuring more than 330. The agency also reported that the airport had resumed limited domestic flights in the week before Sunday's decision. Under the new arrangement reported by Reuters, Terminal 1 was designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers.
Published tolls from the attacks on the airport varied by statement and timing. Reuters quoted coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki as saying on Oct. 15 that the Houthis had launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport during the month through that date, killing 17 people and injuring 333. In another statement, the coalition said Houthi attacks on Abha airport, near the Yemeni border, had killed 3 people and injured 28 by mid-October. The Associated Press gave a different toll for the attacks on the airport complex in early October: 17 dead and more than 330 injured. Reuters' figure for the Oct. 10 attack was 13 dead and more than 300 injured. These figures remain attributed to their respective sources and reports, as published, with differences in how incidents and covered periods were described.
On statements about the targets of the attacks, Reuters said the Houthis had claimed on Saturday to have targeted the airport and Saudi oil facilities, while Saudi authorities did not comment directly on those claims. It also quoted Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree as describing the airport as still being a "military target" and warning airlines, workers and passengers against using it. Saudi interception statements published for Oct. 25 do not confirm that the projectiles intercepted were targeting energy facilities or the airport; they identify Riyadh, the southern region and Khamis Mushait as launch destinations. The Gulf Cooperation Council's General Secretariat called on the international community to take a firm stance and effective measures to halt the attacks, affirming the member states' solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Britain announced an expansion of its defense support for Saudi Arabia to include defensive air patrols by Typhoon aircraft, while its defense minister said there was no military solution to the conflict.
The confrontation stems from the Yemen war, in which Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognized government, after the Houthis seized Sanaa the previous year. Reuters said renewed fighting in Yemen had ended a U.N.-brokered truce that had largely held since 2022. The return of flights to King Khalid International Airport after the suspension and limited resumption adds a civilian development to the security picture, as Saudi authorities continue to announce projectile interceptions and emergency warnings. Terminals 1 and 2 are scheduled to operate domestic and international flights starting Sunday, Oct. 25, according to the airport's announcement as reported by the two agencies. The Houthi warning about using the airport also remained in place in statements reported by Reuters.