Turki al-Malki, a major general and spokesman for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said the Houthi group had carried out around 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh since 1 October, adding that the coalition had conducted a specialised operation in response to attacks targeting the airport and others.
Houthi attacks threaten airports and civilian facilities
Speaking at a coalition press conference, al-Malki said the Houthis had carried out what he described as terrorist acts against civilian facilities and had attempted to target dozens of airports, oil facilities and ports in the kingdom. He said the attacks posed a threat to security and stability at both regional and international levels.
He added that targeting civil airports affected not only the kingdom's security but also navigational security, explaining that attacks on airports put the lives of thousands of civilian travellers at risk. He also described Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques as a heinous and brutal act, saying the attacks represented a continuation of a hostile approach targeting the holiest places on Earth.
Advanced Houthi technology backed by regional parties
The spokesman said the Houthis had worked to acquire advanced technology with the assistance of regional parties, adding that they had become, in his description, the first terrorist group to possess drones and speedboats. Regarding coalition operations, al-Malki said the Saudi armed forces possessed combat systems with a high state of readiness and advanced capabilities.
He announced that operations carried out in recent days had resulted in the destruction of 127 storage facilities in mountainous areas, as well as a number of launch platforms.
The press conference addressed the neutralisation of the Houthis' vital capabilities used to support the war effort, in addition to details of the attack on King Khalid International Airport. The coalition had previously described the attack on the airport as a “cowardly terrorist attack” and a “full-fledged war crime”.
