Houthis launch missile attack on Riyadh for third consecutive day

Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a third consecutive day of missile attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh and two more towards the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.

Residents of Riyadh heard multiple loud explosions on Monday night (October 12), shortly before they received a warning on their mobile phones about an airstrike.

Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The group's military spokesman, Yahya Sari, said drones were also sent to target a military airbase in Khamis Mushait.

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said on social media that one missile fired towards Riyadh and two towards Khamis Mushait were intercepted and destroyed.

At least 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured in a Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday. Another attack on Sunday killed one person and injured 11 others. The airport has been closed since those attacks.

Saudi authorities have said the airport may remain closed until next Saturday. In the meantime, various airlines have canceled their flights.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari has warned international airlines and passengers not to fly to Saudi Arabia's airports, saying that the country's airports other than Mecca and Medina are unsafe.

The Houthis have also attacked Saudi oil facilities. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the group's political bureau, has called on Saudi oil and airport workers to stay away from these areas, claiming that these facilities are now legitimate targets.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities are investigating why air defenses in the kingdom failed to stop a series of attacks on the airport, two regional officials familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.

Initial investigations suggest that the Houthis first sent a few drones to clear the way, followed by a coordinated attack of cruise and ballistic missiles, some of which hit the airport.

According to officials, the Houthis have ballistic missiles whose warheads can change course during flight, making them difficult to intercept for Saudi Arabia's Patriot and other missile defense systems.

Why there was no advance warning before the attack is also part of the investigation. The missiles and drones traveled more than 1,000 kilometers to reach Riyadh, officials said.