RIYADH(National Times)- Yemen\u2019s Houthi forces escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, attempting to shut down the kingdom\u2019s airspace and oil facilities with missile fire that disrupted flights and damaged a kindergarten and medical complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flight tracker FlightRadar24 also showed numerous delayed arrivals and departures. The airport did not acknowledge the disruption, pointing only to the \u201cnecessity\u201d of contacting airlines before travelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched two ballistic missiles at Riyadh\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around the same time, the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and another toward Khamis Mushait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after, Saudi Arabia\u2019s civil defence agency posted on X that \u201cinterception debris\u201d had fallen in Riyadh, causing material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex, without specifying if there were any casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diplomats were instructed to shelter in place at their embassies, and at least one international school sent children into a basement for safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defence pact<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Saudi Arabia pushes for allied support to reverse Houthi gains, regional states are weighing their involvement under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Turkiye, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ruled out sending troops to confront the Houthis. \u201cThis is a defence agreement,\u201d he said. \u201cIf one of the countries is attacked, you support its defence. This is not an offensive agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkiye \u201cwill not send its troops to another country\u2019s territory to launch an attack,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile in Pakistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY News on Thursday that no stipulation in the Makkah pact bars alliance members from getting \u201cdirectly involved\u201d if one member faced a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo defend one of the member countries, the remaining two would get involved as if they were defending themselves,\u201d Mr Asif said, though he separately told Geo News that while Pakistan and Turkiye had a \u201cpresence in the theatre\u201d, only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cfake and fabricated\u201d, having earlier termed a Reuters report claiming the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops as \u201cspeculative\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInternational media houses are again asked to avoid speculative reporting with regards to employment of Pakistan\u2019s military forces under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShould 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,\u201d the diplomat said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIYADH(National Times)- Yemen\u2019s Houthi forces escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, attempting to shut down the kingdom\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n