Service suspended at Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia after Houthi attack claim

Operations were suspended on Tuesday at Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia, a regional source with knowledge of the matter said. The suspension followed an announcement by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis that they had attacked the site. The airport is located near the Yemeni border.

Why did the Houthis attack a Saudi airport?

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels struck Najran Airport with a drone, calling it a "sensitive target belonging to the Saudi enemy." He said the strike was in response to Saudi drone violations of airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates. The claim came weeks after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.

What damage did the attack cause?

A regional source told AFP that the airport's main radar was hit, affecting operations. The airport's website listed the status of flights scheduled for the next few days as "unknown." Saudi Arabia has not, so far, issued any comment on the claimed attack.

The small airport has a single terminal handling a few flights per day. Last month, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude, and have since claimed several attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure. Saudi Arabia has retaliated with strikes targeting Houthi positions.

How did fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis resume?

Fighting erupted last month, marking the first time Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have traded heavy fire since a 2022 truce. A Saudi-led military coalition had been at war with the Houthis since 2015, after the rebels seized the capital Sanaa and forced out the internationally recognized government. The renewed hostilities are an example of how the war between the US and Iran has spread across the region.