The Yemeni Armed Forces say they have launched a retaliatory missile strike on Riyadh’s international airport in response to Saudi Arabia’s continued aggression against Yemen.

In a statement posted on Telegram on Wednesday evening, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said military units had fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport, causing significant damage to the site.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

“We affirm that King Khalid International Airport is unsafe. We reiterate our call to all international airlines, staff, and travelers to avoid flying through Saudi airspace, as it involves serious risks,” Saree stated.

He added, “The Saudi airspace remains unsafe, with the exception of the airspace over the holy sites in Mecca and Medina.”

The strike comes amid escalating Saudi aggression against Yemen in recent weeks, with Saudi airstrikes targeting areas across the country and Yemeni forces responding with retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory.

Yemeni Army downs Saudi reconnaissance drone over southwestern Yemen

Earlier, Saree said Yemeni air defense forces had detected and targeted an armed Wing Loong II surveillance drone with “an appropriate weapon” while it was carrying out hostile activities in the skies over the southwestern province of Ta’izz.

This marks the tenth such drone downed since the latest escalation began in July.

Separately, the Yemeni military announced that it had carried out three retaliatory operations against designated targets in Saudi Arabia’s southern regions of Najran and Jizan on Wednesday morning.

The first operation targeted a radar station in the al-Qahma district of northern Jizan using a drone, in a “precise” strike.

The second operation successfully hit Akifah military camp in Najran with a ballistic missile.

The third operation targeted the command and control center of Saudi border guards in Jizan with a ballistic missile, causing heavy casualties among Saudi soldiers and commanders, according to the Yemeni military.

Meanwhile, Saudi warplanes targeted a residential building in al-Athawir area of the Hayfan district in Yemen’s southwestern Ta’izz province, killing a mother and three of her children.

The deadly airstrike also left four other family members wounded and trapped beneath the rubble.

Eight civilians killed, dozens injured as Saudi-led forces hit market in southwestern Yemen

Eight civilians have been killed and dozens more injured as Saudi-led forces hit a popular market in Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz.

Saudi airstrikes also damaged homes and private properties in al-Muaytib village, in the al-Sharman area of the Mawiyah district in Ta’izz province.

A health center in the al-Qabilah area of the al-Silw district was also targeted in Saudi airstrikes.

Elsewhere, in the northwestern province of Sa’ada, a child was killed and four other people wounded when Saudi warplanes carried out four air raids on the Alaf area of the Sahar district.

Saudi artillery units also shelled the Ghawr al-Mishwat area in the border district of Ghamr. No immediate information was available on possible casualties.

In separate cross-border attacks, Saudi ground troops opened fire on civilian areas in Qahr Bani al-Harith in the Baqim district, wounding two civilians.

Heavy artillery and missile fire also struck residential villages across the Al-Thabet area in the neighboring Qatabir district along Yemen’s northern border.

Meanwhile, four Saudi airstrikes hit the city of al-Bayda in central Yemen. There were no immediate reports of casualties or the extent of the damage.

The latest escalation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia followed a Saudi airstrike on Sana’a International Airport in July.

In response, the Yemeni government declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for the kingdom’s “unjust and oppressive siege” of Yemen, which has lasted nearly 12 years.

The Yemeni Armed Forces reported a number of successful operations aimed at Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea following the announcement. They have also carried out retaliatory strikes against targets deep inside Saudi territory.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies initiated a blockade on Yemen, launching a comprehensive military campaign that was bolstered by military, political, and logistical support from the United States and various Western nations.

While hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have lost their lives, Saudi Arabia has not succeeded in its primary objective of reinstating a puppet regime in Yemen that aligns with its interests.