What happened

Yemen's Houthi movement launched a cruise-missile attack on Abha International Airport, about 200km north of the Yemeni border, on 12 June 2019, wounding 26 civilians in the arrivals hall, including three women and two children of Saudi, Yemeni and Indian nationality; eight were hospitalized while most others received on-site treatment. Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV confirmed the strike, and the Saudi-UAE-led coalition reported material damage to the airport facility. A Houthi spokesman said the continuation of the war and blockade on Yemen 'for the fifth year ... make it inevitable for our people to defend themselves.' The coalition characterized the strike as a potential war crime and said it demonstrated Houthi acquisition of 'advanced weapons from Iran,' which Iran did not immediately address, having previously denied arming the group. This record introduces this early, significant Houthi-Saudi airport attack to the site's airbase/airport-strike coverage, distinct from the later 2026-era Abha entries recorded elsewhere on the site, added following the extension of the backfill window back to 2016.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.