Airports in Saudi Arabia‘s Jazan and Najran were targeted in two attacks on Monday evening, injuring three people and causing limited damage, according to the kingdom’s aviation authority, as tensions with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalated.The attacks came as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces stepped up a major offensive to retake territory from the Houthis along the Red Sea coast. Saudi Arabia has intensified airstrikes in support of the campaign.The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia, including airports, oil facilities and military sites.Saudi airports assess damageSaudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said it was assessing the damage at King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Airport and Najran International Airport, Reuters reported.The authority said measures were being taken to ensure the safety of passengers and staff and protect the kingdom’s civil aviation system. The attacks came after the Houthis claimed to have launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes targeting key Saudi facilities.Houthis claim strikes on airports, Aramco facilityThe Houthis said their operations targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport and a military base in Khamis Mushait, Reuters reported.The claimed strikes mark an escalation in the Saudi-Houthi confrontation, with the conflict increasingly spilling beyond Yemen’s borders and threatening Saudi economic and military infrastructure.The escalation followed territorial gains by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces along Yemen’s western coast, including areas near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.Yemeni government forces advanced towards Mocha after recapturing areas near the strait, putting further pressure on the Houthis.The intensifying conflict has also triggered the activation of the Mecca defence pact, with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye moving to implement their collective-defence commitments.
