[Regnum] Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement called on airlines to stop flights to Saudi Arabia, warning of the threat of strikes on the kingdom's airports. This was announced on October 11 by the movement's military spokesman, Yahya Saria.
The warning is also addressed to airport staff and passengers. The Houthis have declared Saudi Arabia's airports and airspace potential targets for airstrikes and military operations. They have made an exception for the airports of Mecca and Medina.
"We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously," Saria wrote on social media.
The movement's representative also stated that Saudi Arabia will bear responsibility for the consequences of failed attempts to intercept air targets. The Houthis intend to adhere to their previously announced principle of "airport for airport, blockade for blockade, escalation for escalation" until their goals are achieved.
The day before, on October 10, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was attacked. According to the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority, 12 people were killed and 309 were injured. Arab coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki blamed the Houthis for the attack and promised retaliatory measures.
On October 5, the Ansar Allah movement declared Saudi Arabia's airspace a zone of military operations, excluding the skies over Mecca and Medina. At that time, the Houthis announced strikes on the airports of Riyadh and Abha, the Aramco oil refinery, and military installations in the kingdom.
The Kremlin expressed concern about the escalating conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. On October 7, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov called the situation extremely alarming, noting the high level of tension in the Persian Gulf region.