Saudi Arabia Reopens Riyadh Airport on Limited Basis as Houthis Vow More Attacks

Saudi Arabia reopened Riyadh's international airport on Sunday with limited operations, even as Yemen's Houthis vowed to keep attacking it. The airport had been closed after deadly strikes about two weeks earlier. Saudi carriers are flying from half the airport, and foreign airlines have not resumed flights to Riyadh. Some traffic has moved to Al Qassim airport, more than 350 kilometers away, where Riyadh Air has shifted its entire operations. Authorities reported intercepting Houthi ballistic missiles on Sunday, and residents received text messages warning of a hostile aerial threat. On Monday, Oct. 26, the Saudi-led coalition said air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh and destroyed two missile launchers in Sanaa. Spokesman Turki Al-Malki said the coalition is continuing to dismantle the Houthis' missile network. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group successfully targeted the airport. The deadliest attack this month killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, the worst in the kingdom in over a decade.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative/independent outlets had. The New York Times, the left-leaning source here, leads with the reopening and the Houthi threat of further strikes. It describes the Houthis as an Iran-backed Yemeni militia that launched several deadly attacks this month, and the available text gives no casualty figures, flight details or named officials. Alternative outlets add detail. Semafor covers the limited operations, the foreign airlines' absence, the move to Al Qassim and Saudi state TV interviews with survivors. The Hindu leads with the coalition's interception claim, quotes Al-Malki and Saree and notes the casualty toll. With no right-leaning coverage, no comparison with that side is possible.