Yemen Houthis Claim Riyadh Airport Attack as Government Forces Retake Port

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed a new attack targeting the main airport in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh as fighting intensifies. RTE, Fox News, and AFP reported that the Houthis claimed the strike on the airport, while Fox News and Al Jazeera added that the group also claimed to have targeted a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh with missiles and drones. RTE noted that the claims could not be independently verified due to restricted access for journalists. [1][2][6][9][10]

The claims come as Yemeni government forces, supported by a Saudi-led military coalition, reported recapturing key positions along the Red Sea coast from the rebels. RTE and The Guardian reported that coalition-backed forces reclaimed several areas around the Bab al-Mandab strait. Al Jazeera reported that Yemeni forces also retook the strategic port city of Mocha, which had been captured by Houthi fighters last month. [1][3][4][5]

Houthi forces have denied losing territory to government troops during the counter-offensive, according to RTE. The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are an Iran-backed political and paramilitary organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Saudi-led coalition previously dismissed Houthi claims of striking Aramco facilities in Riyadh as misleading statements meant to divert attention from losses. [1][11][14]

To support Saudi security amid the escalating conflict, Turkiye and Pakistan have agreed to rapidly deploy military forces, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera reported that the deployment is part of a joint defence pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan in August. [4][7]