Houthi forces claimed ballistic missile and drone strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Aden International Airport on October 6 and 7, with Saudi authorities confirming three foreign nationals killed and 36 wounded across attacks on King Khalid and Abha airports [1][3]. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation identified the dead as a Moroccan and an Algerian national at Abha and a Sudanese national at Riyadh [1][3], though several other outlets, including Dawn, France 24, Middle East Eye and RFI, identified the two victims at Abha instead as an Egyptian and an Algerian national, a discrepancy in nationality reporting that remained unresolved [6][7][11][14].
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the armed forces targeted King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile, stating: "The strike was accurate, by God's grace, and led to a disruption of air traffic" [6][7]. Other outlets, including DW, Infobae and Middle East Eye, instead reported Saree describing the Riyadh strike as carried out by drones or by a combination of drones and missiles, a discrepancy in the reported weapon type that was not resolved [5][10][19][23]. Saree said the attacks were "a response to the Saudi aggression against our country" that included 60 airstrikes in 24 hours [3], though Turkish media reported Saree citing a figure of 156 air and missile strikes over the same 24-hour period [9]. He also claimed missile and drone strikes on Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait, and issued what he called a "last warning" to global airlines about operating in Saudi airspace, which he said had "become a theater for our military operations" [5][26]. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi accused Riyadh of conspiring against Hezbollah and being complicit in Gaza [8].
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed the launch platform in Sanaa used in the attack [1][9]. Al-Maliki said the attacks "will not go unpunished" and that the coalition struck 82 "legitimate military targets" across Saada, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, and Ma'rib [3][7]. Saudi authorities initially said the attacks had been repelled, then reported three dead and 36 wounded [8]. Saudi political analyst Wajdi al-Qaliti said targeting a civilian airport is a serious violation of the principle of protecting civilians, while noting the Houthis provided no independent evidence the missile reached the airport area [28].
The Aden airport strike landed near the runway minutes before Yemenia flight 603 from Cairo was due to arrive, forcing its diversion to Jeddah and the airport's evacuation [2][5]. Yemen's Transport Ministry said two ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones hit the terminal and runway, nearly causing a humanitarian catastrophe [18][22]. British Ambassador to Yemen Abda Sharif said the attack could have endangered thousands of people [8].
Yemen's Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council and ICAO to act, holding the Houthis fully responsible for what it called a dangerous violation of international humanitarian law [25]. Presidential council adviser Abdelmalek al-Mikhafi said the attack reflected the Houthis' approach of striking civilians to terrorize residents and urged disarming the group [2]. The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia's international airports [21]. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the cross-border attacks and expressed deep concern at the sharp escalation in fighting [3][16].
Yemeni pro-government forces said they secured the Bab al-Mandab Strait and declared an all-out war to recover Houthi-held areas, claiming victories on several fronts including the expulsion of Houthis from areas in Taiz [3][16]. The army media center said the Homeland Shield Forces launched a wide-scale operation to retake Al-Waziya and secured strategic hills overlooking Al-Mansura [18]. More than 270 government troops and Houthi fighters were killed in a single day of fighting [12]. Houthi spokesperson Saree denied any territorial losses, saying the group still holds all territory it seized and repelled government forces trying to advance near Bab al-Mandab [14][16]. The Institute for the Study of War revised its previous assessment that Houthi coastal forces were collapsing, and open-source evidence suggested Mocha remains in Houthi hands despite government claims [8][20].
Turkey and Pakistan activated the Mecca Defense Pact, agreeing to deploy military forces to Saudi Arabia [20][33]. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the pact would be activated if unprovoked aggression continues, stressing it is a mutual defense pact rather than an offensive one [34]. Turkish researcher Oral Toğa said the deployment should be read as contributing to the defense of an ally's territory rather than Turkey entering a war [33]. Analyst Hamish Kinnear of Verisk Maplecroft said Ankara and Islamabad are reluctant to be drawn into a war against Iran and want to keep their mediator role between Washington and Tehran [14]. Syria's Information Ministry denied claims that Damascus might join the war, saying its regional policy focuses on stability and cooperation [9]. The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council listed ending war and aggression against its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq as one of six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz [30].
The International Organization for Migration reported more than 200,000 people displaced by the fighting, up from around 76,000 in mid-September [5][20], though other outlets cited lower displacement tallies for the same period, including roughly 184,000 reported by Dawn and about 130,000 cited by DW's Swahili service [16][32]. IOM Director General Amy Pope said "people are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go" [24]. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed since the latest fighting resumed [35]. In Taiz, resident Al-Fateh al-Eisaei described a Houthi shell landing in a street crowded with civilians [6][7]. A charity worker who fled Mocha to Aden said "life in Mocha has come to a complete standstill — there is no movement at all. The city has become a war zone" [16]. The Houthi-run health ministry said a Saudi airstrike killed six members of the same family, including four children, in a village in Hajjah governorate [16]. Human Rights Watch, which had documented an earlier July exchange of strikes on Sanaa and Abha airports, warned that strikes on airports and critical infrastructure by multiple parties violate the laws of armed conflict with almost no accountability [27].
Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said the East-West pipeline has recovered to 5.8 million barrels per day, more than 80 percent of its maximum capacity [37]. Shell CEO Wael Sawan said Middle East oil flows have recovered to more than 80 percent of pre-conflict levels but warned this cannot continue indefinitely if the conflict drags on [37]. Brent crude rose 0.92 percent to $101.51 on supply-risk fears [10]. Djibouti's port authority said its six ports remain fully operational while acknowledging container shipping costs in the region jumped from roughly $3,000 to nearly $10,000 [31]. UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a tanker leaving the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified object [37].
The coalition said it carried out dozens of retaliatory strikes on Houthi military targets across several provinces [36]. The US embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert urging citizens to exercise heightened vigilance [1][26]. G7 leaders demanded the Houthis immediately stop military actions against Saudi Arabia and civilian shipping and called on Iran to halt arming and supporting the Houthis [32].