Houthis Claim Strikes and Missile Launch as Saudi Tensions Rise

Saudi Arabia faced a sharp escalation with Yemen’s Houthi movement on October 13, as the group claimed that airstrikes hit areas under its control and said it had fired a ballistic missile toward Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The reported strikes and missile launch were not independently verified in the available reports, and Saudi Arabia had not immediately commented on the claims. The Houthi-run broadcaster al-Masirah said overnight airstrikes hit Kamaran Island in the Red Sea, Qanawis district northwest of Hodeida, and Jawf province, which borders Saudi Arabia. It attributed the attacks to Saudi Arabia but gave no further details. The Houthis also said they shot down a Saudi drone over Saada province, another claim that was not independently confirmed. The reports came hours after air-raid sirens sounded in Riyadh on Monday evening and residents heard explosions. The Houthis’ statement that they launched a ballistic missile toward the airport did not establish whether a missile reached the area or what happened to it. The latest claims follow a broader campaign of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets.