Riyadh airport closure extended; missile intercepted over Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia
The repercussions of the attacks extended to international air traffic after the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was extended
Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that it had intercepted a ballistic missile targeting Khamis Mushait and was dealing with new threats involving drones and missiles.
The repercussions of the attacks extended to international air traffic after the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was extended. Battles continued in Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, amid British readiness to consider providing additional support to the Kingdom.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait was intercepted and destroyed, following the interception of a drone heading toward the Eastern Province. The coalition had previously announced it was dealing with a new threat involving drones and cruise missiles targeting the Kingdom.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport to complete safety and readiness checks on its facilities, without announcing an official date for the resumption of flights. Saturday's attack killed 13 people and injured 309 others, while Saudi authorities announced the death of a Pakistani resident and injuries to 11 others in Sunday's attack.
The closure disrupted air travel, with Lufthansa canceling flights to Riyadh until October 16, Air France-KLM extending its suspension until the end of the month, Gulf Air halting its flights until October 17, and Air India and IndiGo canceling flights until October 15. Philippine Airlines extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh until November 29. Delta Air Lines postponed the launch of its Atlanta-Riyadh route until March 2027. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, flight cancellations at Saudi airports reached 46.4%.
In Riyadh, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told the World Petroleum Congress that the attacks had put the Kingdom's infrastructure, institutions, and resilience to a "real test," emphasising that energy security could not be taken for granted. In London, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced his country's readiness to consider any new Saudi requests for support, after agreeing last month to provide limited aerial refuelling capabilities.
In Yemen, military sources told AFP that more than 60 people were killed in 24 hours of fighting in Taiz, where the Houthis tightened their siege of the city and established fire control over its exits. Meanwhile, government sources confirmed that a Houthi attack on the Dhubab front west of the city had been repelled. In Lahj, clashes erupted in the Al-Mudharabah district between the Giants Brigades, the Subaiha tribes, and the Houthis, as the group attempted to reach the coast and sever supply lines to Bab al-Mandab.
In Marib, the Yemeni army announced the continuation of its operations against the Houthis on the northern fronts as part of Operation ‘Dawn of Yemen’, using artillery and drones with air support, while Tehran said it was ready to facilitate dialogue between the two sides of the conflict, without condemning the attacks on Saudi Arabia.