Houthi attacks on Abha and Riyadh airports kill three

According to a GACA statement cited by Gulf News, two women, one Moroccan and one Algerian, were killed and 28 people injured in the attack on Abha International Airport. The injured include Saudi citizens as well as one Bangladeshi and one Filipino resident. At King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, one Sudanese national was killed and eight people injured: five Saudis, two Egyptians and one Pakistani. Gulf News' live coverage said the Houthis targeted Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile at 09:37 on 7 October, disrupting air traffic.

The only source for the casualty figures is GACA, the Saudi authority; as of 8 October there was no independent count or confirmation on the ground. The claim of the attack comes from the Houthis and the casualty count from the Saudi side. The two statements agree that the attacks took place, but the extent of the damage has not been disclosed. The Asia Business Daily says these are the first airport deaths from Houthi attacks in years, and the first confirmed fatality at an airport in Riyadh. Gulf News reported that the Houthis also fired missiles and drones at Aden International Airport on 7 October, disrupting one inbound flight.

Since 5 October the conflict has run on two tracks: government forces are advancing along the coast while the Houthis fire deep into Saudi territory. According to The Asia Business Daily, about 200,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since early September. With three deaths, the Houthis have for the first time turned into fatalities their strategy of making Saudi civilian infrastructure pay for Saudi air support.