Riyadh Under Threat? Smoke Seen In Saudi Capital As 48 Die In Houthi Clashes With Saudi-Backed Forces

At least 48 people have been killed in fighting between Saudi backed Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters in southern Yemen over the past day, as the escalating conflict reached closer to Saudi Arabia with aerial threat alerts in Riyadh and thick smoke seen near the capital’s main airport.

Government military sources said 17 troops were killed, while the Houthis reported 31 deaths among their fighters in the latest clashes. The fighting comes as the Iran aligned group continues its advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and intensifies attacks against Saudi interests.

The escalation reached Riyadh early Saturday. Saudi Civil Defence issued emergency warnings to residents in Riyadh and Al Kharj, saying the areas were under a “hostile aerial threat” and instructing people to stay indoors. The warnings were later lifted and an all clear was issued.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, followed by flames and a large plume of black smoke near King Khalid International Airport. Reports said the smoke was seen rising from an area close to fuel storage facilities, while flight operations were disrupted.

The Riyadh warning was significant because it marked the first such aerial threat alert in the Saudi capital since the latest escalation with the Houthis began in July. Similar warnings were also issued in other Saudi locations, including Jeddah and Yanbu.

The Houthis have intensified attacks against Saudi cities, energy infrastructure and maritime routes in recent weeks. The group declared a naval blockade targeting Saudi vessels in July and has sought to expand its position along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.

Reuters reported that China has privately urged Iran to use its influence to restrain the Houthis after Saudi Arabia appealed to Beijing for help.

The Houthis emerged in northern Yemen in the 1990s as a local religious and political movement and later fought successive wars against the Yemeni government. They seized Sanaa in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to intervene militarily the following year. A 2022 truce reduced the intensity of the fighting, but the conflict has now sharply escalated again.

The group has developed an arsenal that includes ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. The attached analysis identifies the Palestine-2 and Toufan ballistic missiles, Quds missile family and Samad drones among weapons associated with the Houthi arsenal, while describing their broader strategy as asymmetric warfare.

The latest escalation is also creating a growing humanitarian crisis. More than 112,000 people have reportedly been displaced inside Yemen, while thousands more have fled across the Red Sea to Djibouti.

The UN Security Council on Friday condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and the group’s wider military escalation in Yemen. It warned that continued violence could threaten regional stability, maritime security and international trade while worsening the humanitarian situation.

The council also called for practical cooperation to prevent the Houthis from obtaining weapons, military training, financing and other military support that could enable further attacks. Member states were urged to implement the existing UN arms embargo on the group.