Booms, flight disruptions in Riyadh 

RIYADH, Oct 8: Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, striking the capital Riyadh and disrupting flights as a renewed civil war in Yemen increasingly spills across borders and threatens to draw more regional powers into the conflict.

The Houthis said on Thursday they had fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, claiming it struck its target and disrupted airport operations. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree also repeated a warning to international airlines to stop operating through Saudi airspace.

Diplomats, schools in Saudi take safety measures after blasts heard 

It was the third time this week that the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the airport. The latest claim came a day after the group said a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia had killed three people and wounded 36 others.

Explosions were heard across Riyadh on Thursday, prompting diplomats to shelter in place and some international schools to take precautionary measures. At least one school moved children into a basement, while several multinational companies in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District told employees to work from home or evacuated staff from the area.

Numerous flights arriving at and departing from King Khalid International Airport were delayed or cancelled, according to airport information and flight-tracking data. Saudi authorities did not immediately issue a public alert over the explosions, although warnings had been issued during earlier periods of the conflict.

The latest attacks came as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces stepped up a counter-offensive against the Houthis, who control much of northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The Yemeni government said its forces had retaken strategic areas along the Red Sea and around the port city of Mocha.

The Houthis, however, said they were holding their positions. Military sources from both sides reported no major changes in some areas, and battlefield claims could not be independently verified because of the rapidly changing situation and limited access for journalists.

Yemen's civil war had largely remained at a standstill after a ceasefire in 2022, but fighting reignited in July when the Houthis launched a major offensive against government forces. 

The group has since seized large areas along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial route for global shipping and an important passage for Saudi oil exports.

Saudi-backed forces launched a counter-attack this week to regain territory around the strategic waterway. The Houthis have also made gains elsewhere, surrounding Yemen's third-largest city, Taiz, after taking territory along its main mountain road to Aden.

The renewed fighting has displaced more than 200,000 people since July, according to the United Nations, deepening a humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest countries. Most of Yemen's population already depends on humanitarian aid.�" AGENCIES