RIYADH — October 7, 2026 — Saudi Arabia confirmed on Tuesday that two airports in the kingdom’s southern border region were struck a day earlier, leaving three people with minor injuries and causing material damage, in the latest escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport were subjected to attacks targeting their facilities on Monday evening.
“The attacks resulted in three minor injuries and material damage,” the aviation authority said. The statement noted that specialized emergency teams responded immediately after the incidents occurred and that authorities were continuing to assess the damage while taking measures to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.
Official Confirmation After Rebel Claims
The Saudi statement did not identify who carried out the attacks, but it followed a Houthi announcement late on Monday that their forces had conducted a wave of missile and drone strikes across southern Saudi Arabia, including what the group described as “sensitive sites” in Jazan and Najran.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said on Monday that their forces had targeted sites across southern Saudi Arabia, including airports and military installations. State media reported that the kingdom’s civil aviation authority described injuries of varying severity among those hurt, with all three taken to hospital for treatment.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi called the attacks on airports and civilian facilities “a dangerous escalation” and urged the international community to take a firm stance against them, according to statements carried by regional media. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned what it called the Iran-aligned group’s continued attacks on Saudi Arabia, accusing it of targeting civilians and economic facilities.
Broader Escalation Across the Border
The strikes on Jazan and Najran airports came as fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis intensified on multiple fronts. Trade sources said Yemen’s internationally recognized government launched a major counteroffensive inside Yemen this week aimed at retaking Houthi-held territory.
Government forces said on Monday they had recaptured the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, along with key positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait — one of the world’s most important maritime shipping routes. The Houthis disputed the claim and denied losing control of the port city, and independent verification of the competing battlefield claims was not immediately available.
The Saudi-led military coalition said it had also begun a new air campaign against Houthi positions. Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki said about 100 fighter jets were supporting Yemeni government forces and providing air cover around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, with hundreds of Houthi targets destroyed, according to statements carried by state-linked media.
Regional Fallout
The attacks are the latest in a conflict between the kingdom and the Houthis in neighboring Yemen that has persisted for years and intensified sharply in recent weeks. State media reported that the coalition has also intercepted ballistic missiles and drones targeting the kingdom in recent days.
Analysts said the direct targeting of civilian aviation infrastructure marked a significant widening of the confrontation, raising the stakes for commercial travel across the southern Arabian Peninsula. The aviation authority said it was working with security agencies to assess the damage and ensure the security of the kingdom’s civil aviation system.
With a major ground offensive underway inside Yemen and the coalition’s air campaign expanding, observers warned that cross-border strikes could continue in the coming days, keeping regional tensions at their highest level in years.
