Houthi Attacks on Two Saudi Airports Kill Three; Syria Weighs Military Support for Riyadh

RIYADH (International Desk): Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels has intensified. Saudi authorities said three people were killed this week in attacks on the airports in Abha and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said facilities at Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were hit on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Abha, two women from Morocco and Algeria were killed and 28 civilians and locals injured, including two people from Bangladesh and the Philippines; some of the injured are in critical condition. At King Khalid, a Sudanese national was killed and eight were wounded, including five Saudis, two Egyptians and a Pakistani. All the injured were taken to hospital, and both attacks caused some financial losses.
Several loud explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday morning. The Houthis claimed they targeted King Khalid airport with a ballistic missile; Saudi officials did not immediately respond to the claim.
According to US and Syrian officials, Syria is cautiously considering providing military support to Saudi Arabia, ranging from defensive cooperation to deploying Syrian troops to help the Saudi-backed Yemeni government army against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia has also sought help from allies, including Turkey and Pakistan, even if only logistical or defensive.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces claimed 1,860 Houthi fighters have been neutralised since launching large-scale counteroffensives to retake Houthi-held areas. A spokesman said 2,103 precision strikes were carried out against Houthi military sites under Operation “Dawn of Yemen.”