Saudi coalition destroys four Houthi missile launchers amid Riyadh airport threat

The Saudiled military coalition fighting Yemens Houthis struck several of its missile launchers and storage facilities a spokesman said on Monday while the Iranbacked group claimed a new attack on Riyadhs international airportThe coalitions operation came a day after explosions rattled Saudi Arabias capital and authorities sent text messages to residents warning them of a hostile aerial threat to the city which has been heavily targeted by the Houthis in recent weeksThe Saudiled military coalitions spokesman Turki alMaliki posted on X on Monday that the operation had destroyed four ballistic missile launchers as well as a missile depot and tunnels used by the Houthis who control a large part of YemenThe operation focused on cutting off Houthi militia supply lines between areas under their control he addedThe group have carried out waves of strikes on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decadeAir defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh alMaliki also said on MondayThe airport reopened and fights resumed on Sunday with the Houthis warning travellers to avoid the facility calling it a military targetOn Monday the Houthis said once again they had attacked the airport with a ballistic missile striking the target with precision according to a post by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree on social mediaHe said the Houthis had also struck oil pumping stations with dronesOn Sunday the Houthis had said they launched an attack on the airport in Riyadh after the kingdom announced flights were resumingThe airport closure had been a major blow for Saudi Arabia forcing the postponement of the kingdoms flagship investment conference until 2027 and disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengersThe Dakar Rally also joined a growing list of events that were cancelled postponed or relocated in the fallout from the warSaree had warned that Riyadh airport was still unsafe and a military targetThe Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport the spokesman saidSaudi Arabia and the government it backs in Yemen have come under sustained attack in recent weeks from the Houthis as a yearslong truce broke down in the summer shifting the focus of the wider USIran war that erupted in FebruaryEverything is shakingAs operations resumed at Riyadh airport Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed a key air defence systemMitsotakis responded favourably to the kingdoms request to keep the Patriot system in Saudi Arabia given the current challenging circumstances his office saidGreece has deployed a battery to operate the USmade Patriot air defence system in Yanbu a major oil export hub on the Red Sea coastOn Sunday the Saudiled military coalition said air defences intercepted at least 10 ballistic missilesThe bombardment has been very heavy since this morning may God keep us safe Everything is shaking because of the explosions one resident in Saudi Arabias Khamis Mushait told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymityThe kingdoms civil defence agency later said two people were injured in the south by falling debris also reporting damage to several buildings and vehiclesImages released by the kingdoms official press agency showed a building with part of its upper facade destroyed exposing metal rods Another image captured large windows shattered with shards of glass strewn across the pavement and part of the roadThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever