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Yemen's Houthis target Saudi Arabia's south as Riyadh airport due to reopen

SAUDI ARABIA - Yemen's Houthis launched wide-ranging strikes across swathes of southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, as the kingdom announced the partial reopening...

Times of Suriname

of Riyadh international airport despite repeated attacks by the group. Alerts warning of possible attacks were activated across the kingdom's south throughout the day, with the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis saying at least 10 ballistic missiles were intercepted. Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis, has faced a barrage of strikes from the group in recent weeks. The fighting erupted after a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen's Riyadh-backed government fell apart. "The bombardment has been very heavy since this morning -- may God keep us safe. Everything is shaking because of the explosions," one resident in Khamis Mushait told AFP Sunday on condition of anonymity. Further north, Riyadh's international airport said flights would resume on Sunday after a two-week closure following the Houthi strikes. However it remained unclear to what extent the airport was operational. The Houthi fighters have carried out waves of strikes on the airport, including an attack this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. The group has also targeted oil infrastructure and other sites. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that Riyadh airport was still "unsafe" and a "military target". "The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional and local airlines -- as well as staff and travellers -- against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces," he said. "The Saudi regime shall bear the consequences of any operations at the airport." (Bssnews)