RIYADH(National Times)- Yemen’s Houthi forces escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, attempting to shut down the kingdom’s airspace and oil facilities with missile fire that disrupted flights and damaged a kindergarten and medical complex.
Lufthansa and Air India said on Thursday they will suspend flights to Riyadh as the Yemeni group renewed threats against airlines, after claiming a third attack on King Khalid International Airport.
According to data compiled by aviation analytics company Cirium, 49.7pc of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT, with 31 more cancellations expected for Friday across all Saudi airports.
Flight tracker FlightRadar24 also showed numerous delayed arrivals and departures. The airport did not acknowledge the disruption, pointing only to the “necessity” of contacting airlines before travelling.
A thick black column of smoke and flames rose from Riyadh airport in a video verified by Reuters. A witness and three people briefed on the matter said a stationary commercial plane had caught fire and caused the smoke, though the fire was later put out.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched two ballistic missiles at Riyadh’s airport, one at an airport in Najran and another at an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Saree also ordered workers at Saudi oil facilities to evacuate days after the group hit a major refinery south of the capital.
Around the same time, the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and another toward Khamis Mushait.
Shortly after, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency posted on X that “interception debris” had fallen in Riyadh, causing material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex, without specifying if there were any casualties.
After loud booms echoed across Riyadh on Thursday morning, several multinational firms in the King Abdullah Financial District told staff to work from home or evacuated employees, according to people familiar with the matter.
Diplomats were instructed to shelter in place at their embassies, and at least one international school sent children into a basement for safety.
Defence pact
As Saudi Arabia pushes for allied support to reverse Houthi gains, regional states are weighing their involvement under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Following an emergency alliance meeting in Riyadh earlier this week, members have agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom.
But while both Ankara and Islamabad have pledged support for Riyadh, Turkish and Pakistani officials offered contrasting interpretations on Thursday regarding whether the pact is strictly limited to territorial defence, or permits direct military involvement.
In Turkiye, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ruled out sending troops to confront the Houthis. “This is a defence agreement,” he said. “If one of the countries is attacked, you support its defence. This is not an offensive agreement.”
Turkiye “will not send its troops to another country’s territory to launch an attack,” he stressed.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News on Thursday that no stipulation in the Makkah pact bars alliance members from getting “directly involved” if one member faced a threat.
“To defend one of the member countries, the remaining two would get involved as if they were defending themselves,” Mr Asif said, though he separately told Geo News that while Pakistan and Turkiye had a “presence in the theatre”, only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.
Separately, the Ministry of Information on Thursday dismissed a New York Times report claiming Pakistan Air Force aircraft were being used against the Houthis as “fake and fabricated”, having earlier termed a Reuters report claiming the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops as “speculative”.
“International media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan’s military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” it added.
Meanwhile, Damascus is also said to be considering options for military support, including defensive aid for Saudi Arabia or an offensive deployment against the Houthis, according to US and Syrian defence officials.
“Should Saudi Arabia request any military cooperation or exchange of expertise, this would take place exclusively through official channels and within the framework of the bilateral agreements governing relations between our two brotherly countries,” the diplomat said.
On Thursday, oil prices jumped more than five per cent, then pared gains after President Donald Trump said the US will not launch an attack on Iran before midterm congressional elections in November.
Brent crude futures were up $3.48, or 3.5pc, at $103.73 a barrel by 1641 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $2.69, or 3.1pc, to $91.
