Oct 7 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early on Wednesday, Yemen’s Transport Ministry said, as fighting intensified across several fronts, while the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of the Saudi capital Riyadh.
One missile landed near the airport runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land, the ministry said. Authorities cancelled the landing and diverted the aircraft to Jeddah, while two planes on the runway were moved away from the area over fears of further strikes, it added. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.
Aden International Airport is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control.
The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh. It said it was tracking the launch platform over Houthi-controlled Sanaa and would destroy it, but gave no details of casualties or damage.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement that the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones. There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of an attack on the airport.
The attacks came as fighting intensified on several fronts in Yemen after Saudi-backed government forces launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis, who have made territorial gains along the country’s Red Sea coast in recent weeks.
Yemeni government forces, with Saudi-led coalition air support, launched a lightning offensive this week to retake the Red Sea coast around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the city of Mocha, pushing the Houthis out of areas they had seized last month.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched towards the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, Saudi state television reported.
In a separate statement, Saree said the Houthis had attacked Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles and drones. It was not immediately clear whether this was linked to the missile the coalition said it had intercepted near Khamis Mushait. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm an attack on Abha airport.
(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Mohammed Ghobari; Editing by Chris Reese, Lincoln Feast and Kate Mayberry)
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