Explosions Heard In Saudi Capital As Fight With Houthis Continue

Riyadh heard explosions as Saudi Arabia prepared to restart flights at its international airport. The airport had been closed for two weeks after repeated Houthi strikes. Its reopening mattered because the attacks had disrupted airlines, businesses, and residents, while raising questions about whether normal travel could safely resume.

An AFP journalist heard three explosions early Sunday. Residents received alerts about a hostile aerial threat and were told to seek safety. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh and intercepted two drones near the capital. It later reported intercepting a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait.

The airport’s actual operating level remained unclear. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree warned airlines, workers, and travelers not to use it, calling it a military target. The danger therefore continued even as officials planned to restore flights. Further attacks or successful interceptions could delay reopening and prolong disruption for passengers and Saudi businesses.

The Houthis are described as Iran-backed fighters in Yemen. They are fighting Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition, and Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government. The conflict matters because the fighting has expanded beyond Yemen, reaching Saudi airports, oil facilities, and other strategic sites.

The article gives several signs of the group’s reach. It says the Houthis took control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive last month. They attacked Riyadh airport, southern Saudi cities, energy installations, a pipeline, an air base, and Aden, where the Saudi-backed government has its interim seat.

The article says a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s government fell apart, restarting open fighting. It does not state exactly why the truce collapsed. The renewed attacks have destabilized the region, disrupted oil markets, and created risks for travelers, civilians, airlines, and businesses.

The reported attacks involved several kinds of weapons and targets, but the article gives overlapping figures rather than one total. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted 10 Houthi missiles fired at southern Saudi Arabia. It separately reported destroying one ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, two drones near the capital, and one cruise missile headed toward Khamis Mushait.

The Houthis said they had targeted three Saudi airports within 24 hours, including Riyadh. They also claimed attacks on energy installations, a pipeline, and an air base. Other reports mentioned oil infrastructure, Abha, Namas Governorate, and falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions after two missiles were intercepted.

These figures describe intercepted weapons, claimed targets, and separate incidents, so they should not simply be added together. The article also reports Houthi fire toward Aden, targeting a naval base and military camp. The broad picture is a multi-site campaign across Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Attacks on airports and energy facilities affect far more than military targets. Airports may close or operate uncertainly, leaving travelers stranded and forcing airlines to cancel, delay, or reroute flights. Businesses lose customers and working time, while residents face alerts, explosions, and pressure to shelter.

Riyadh’s airport illustrates the chain reaction. It remained closed for two weeks after Houthi strikes, even though flights were due to resume Sunday. The airport’s status was still unclear, and a Houthi warning called it unsafe. In Khamis Mushait, a resident said heavy bombardment made everything shake. Falling debris also prompted civil defence responses in Mecca and Medina.

Energy attacks add a wider economic risk. The Houthis targeted oil infrastructure, energy installations, and a pipeline. The article says the flare-up disrupted oil markets and dealt a blow to Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter. Continued strikes could prolong travel disruption, business losses, civilian fear, and market instability.

A truce is a pause in fighting, so its collapse allowed the conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government to flare up again. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition supporting that government. The renewed violence matters because it quickly spread across borders and struck civilian, aviation, military, and energy-related sites.

The article gives no specific dispute, decision, or incident that caused the truce to fail. It only states that a years-long truce fell apart. Afterward, the Houthis launched waves of attacks, while the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting missiles and drones. The Houthis also expanded their territorial control, taking the entire Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive last month.

The result was a sharp regional escalation. Riyadh airport closed for two weeks, southern Saudi cities faced repeated warnings, and oil markets were disrupted. Unless the fighting pauses again, airports, businesses, residents, and energy infrastructure will remain exposed. The article does not report a new truce or negotiations.

Air defenses protect cities by detecting incoming weapons and destroying or stopping them before impact. The article names three types: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. It reports interceptions near Riyadh and southern Saudi Arabia, showing that defenses were responding to attacks aimed at both the capital and regional cities.

The coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh, intercepted two drones in the capital area, and later stopped a cruise missile fired at Khamis Mushait. It also said 10 missiles aimed at southern Saudi Arabia were intercepted. These defenses reduce the chance of a direct strike, but they do not guarantee that every part of a weapon disappears safely.

Fragments can fall after an interception and damage property or threaten people below. Saudi civil defence responded to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions after two missiles were intercepted. Thus, successful defense may prevent a larger disaster while still causing local danger, alarms, and emergency responses.

Saudi Arabia’s role as the world’s biggest exporter of crude makes attacks on its oil infrastructure internationally important. If energy facilities or pipelines are threatened, traders may worry about disruption to supplies. Even before a major loss of production, that uncertainty can unsettle oil markets and affect businesses and economies beyond the conflict zone.

The Houthis targeted oil infrastructure, energy installations, and a pipeline, while the Saudi-led coalition intercepted missiles aimed at southern Saudi Arabia. The article says the flare-up further destabilized the region and disrupted oil markets. It also describes a blow to Saudi businesses, airlines, residents, and the kingdom’s effort to shift its international image.

Continued instability could keep markets nervous and make transport and investment harder. The article does not provide price changes or production losses, so those effects cannot be quantified here. It does show that attacks on strategic energy sites have consequences beyond Saudi Arabia and Yemen, especially while fighting continues.