Saudi Arabia says 3 killed in airport attacks claimed by Houthis, vows strikes will not go unpunished | What we know

Three people were killed and dozens injured in attacks targeting airports in Saudi Arabia, the country’s civil aviation authorities said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The development comes as fighting intensifies between Iran-aligned Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.

One person was killed and eight others were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while two people were killed and 28 were injured in an attack targeting a facility at Abha Airport, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authorities, as cited by Reuters.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came amid a wider escalation in Yemen and growing fighting around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Saudi Arabia vows retaliation

The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government vowed to retaliate after the airport attacks, saying they would “not go unpunished,” according to Reuters.

The coalition later said it struck more than 80 Houthi military positions across Yemen’s Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib governorates, the report said.

The latest Saudi and Houthi attacks mark a sharp escalation in fighting that has increasingly drawn attention to Yemen’s strategic location along one of the world’s key sea routes.

The attacks on Saudi Arabian airports were part of a wider series of strikes on aviation infrastructure.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Houthis attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones, Yemen’s Ministry of Transport said.

The latest escalation follows several recent incidents around Riyadh.

On September 18, Saudi-led coalition forces said they had intercepted and destroyed a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired from Yemen at Riyadh, according to Al Jazeera.

A day later, on September 19, at least one explosion was heard near Riyadh Airport, while a large plume of black smoke was seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport, Al Jazeera reported.

Why is Bab el-Mandeb important?

The latest fighting has also brought renewed attention to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow maritime junction connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Fighting in Yemen has intensified around areas near the strait, including the area around the port city of Mocha. Yemeni government forces, backed by air support from the Saudi-led coalition, launched a counter-offensive this week to recapture strategic areas captured by the Houthis in September.

With Hormuz becoming a major hub for energy supplies, Bab el-Mandeb has come back under control as the Houthis step up attacks and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces seek to regain control of territory near the strait.

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The war in Yemen is entering another dangerous phase

The latest escalation revives the conflict that has been ravaging Yemen for more than a decade.

Saudi-backed forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government are now engaged in increasingly intense fighting with the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control large swaths of the country and territory around the strategic Red Sea corridor.

The conflict has also created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest round of fighting began, the International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday.

With information from Reuters.