Yemen’s armed forces have escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia under the declared principle of “airport for airport,” with missile and drone attacks reportedly disrupting operations at major Saudi airports and targeting energy infrastructure in the kingdom’s east, as Saudi airstrikes on Yemeni cities continue and large demonstrations in Sana'a and other areas signal support for retaliation.

According to regional media reports on Saturday, air traffic was temporarily suspended at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following a Yemeni missile attack on the Saudi capital, with operations subsequently disrupted at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Reports also indicated disruptions at four Saudi airports: Jeddah, Riyadh, Al-Ahsa and Dammam.

Al-Masirah separately reported that flight operations had stopped at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and at airports in Dammam and Abha.

Regional sources also reported renewed explosions in Riyadh, while images and reports from eastern Saudi Arabia indicated that a large column of black smoke had risen from the Shedgum gas facility in Al-Ahsa province following an early-morning attack.

The reports did not independently establish the full extent of the damage to the energy facility or the duration of the airport disruptions.

The reported attacks came as Yemen’s armed forces sought to reinforce an air blockade against Saudi Arabia, applying the principle of “airport for airport” in response to the kingdom’s military campaign against Yemen.

The Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, which coordinates with airlines around the world, renewed its request for carriers to suspend flights to Saudi Arabia.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen’s armed forces, said humanitarian flights from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh could be authorized on the condition that they were coordinated with Yemen.

The reports also said several international airlines continued to avoid Saudi airports, while countries including the United States, India and several European states advised their citizens against traveling to Saudi Arabia or approaching strategic sites inside the kingdom.

The escalation followed a series of Saudi airstrikes across Yemen that, according to Saree, included 77 air and missile attacks in the preceding 24 hours.

In a statement issued Friday night, Saree said the attacks had targeted civilian sites and locations in Sana'a and the provinces of Marib, Saada, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Taiz and Amran.

He said the cumulative number of Saudi air and missile attacks since the latest escalation began had reached 1,934.

Meanwhile, medical sources in Yemen reported civilian deaths and injuries after Saudi warplanes struck populated areas of Sana'a, including the Al-Anab neighborhood in the west of the capital.

Local sources cited by Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper said Saudi aircraft had also carried out strikes near locations where demonstrations were scheduled to take place, seeking to deter participation.

Despite the reported attacks, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis took to the streets on Friday, according to the reports, declaring their readiness to confront the Saudi-led coalition and backing retaliatory and deterrent measures announced by Yemen’s armed forces.

The demonstrations followed a call by Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi to mark the third anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

The largest gathering took place in Sana'a’s Al-Sabeen Square, with rallies also held in public squares across provinces controlled by the movement.

Demonstrators voiced support for the leadership and armed forces and condemned Saudi military operations, while challenging what they described as the “Mecca alliance” involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.

They questioned why the countries involved had not formed an alliance to support Gaza if their stated positions were sincere.

The demonstrations underscored the domestic support for Ansarullah as the confrontation widened from Saudi airstrikes on Yemeni territory to a campaign aimed at disrupting aviation and threatening strategic infrastructure inside the kingdom.