Coalition destroys Houthi launchers and tunnels as Riyadh airport reopens

Air traffic returned to Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport on Sunday, ending a temporary closure that had disrupted travel for thousands of passengers. The reopening came after a Houthi missile attack in late October killed 13 people and injured more than 300, marking the deadliest strike on Saudi infrastructure in over a decade.

Following the restart of flights, the Saudi-led coalition announced it conducted a new military operation on Monday. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated that forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used by the Houthis to store weapons. Al-Maliki added that the strikes targeted a missile depot and aimed to cut off supply lines between areas controlled by the armed group.

The coalition also struck Houthi fortifications, troop gatherings, and military equipment along the front lines inside Yemen. These actions follow a wave of recent attacks by the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, against Saudi airports and other infrastructure. The violence represents a sharp escalation in the Yemen war, where Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognized government against the Houthi movement.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed his group launched a precise ballistic missile at the airport on Monday. Al-Maliki countered that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a missile launched toward Riyadh. Saree also reported that drones struck oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia and that ballistic missiles targeted enemy weapons depots in Yemen. He specified that the attacks hit positions in the Salah al-Din area of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.

The conflict reignited in the summer of 2026 when the Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. This followed the collapse of a 2022 truce last month, which allowed Houthi forces to launch a rapid offensive. They seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast from government forces and began attacking Saudi energy facilities and airports. In response, Yemen’s government launched a counteroffensive called Operation Yemen Dawn this month to recapture lost territory.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday. The two leaders discussed a US-made Patriot air defense system deployed by Greece in 2021 to protect energy infrastructure in Yanbu. Mitsotakis’s office stated that the prime minister agreed to keep the system in Saudi Arabia given the current challenging circumstances.

The Saudi-led coalition reported that air defenses intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday. The kingdom’s civil defense agency said two people were injured in the south by falling debris. It also reported damage to several buildings and vehicles. Official images released by the press agency showed a building with a destroyed upper facade exposing metal rods, as well as shattered windows with glass strewn across the pavement.

The Saudi investment conference, originally scheduled for this month, has been postponed until 2027 due to the airport closure. The Houthis have warned travelers to avoid the facility, designating it a military target.