CAIRO, Egypt: Several explosions were heard across Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, on October 8, including a major blast near the city's international airport, as Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed responsibility for a new missile attack.

A witness said fire and ambulance crews arrived at the airport and that smoke was visible after the explosions. The witness said departing flights were stopped and passengers were told to leave their checked luggage behind and evacuate. The number of flights affected was not immediately known.

The attacks also pushed up oil prices and affected financial markets as Saudi Arabia became a new front in the wider war involving Iran.

The Iran-backed Houthis said they had targeted King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile. They claimed the missile caused damage but provided no evidence. Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to the claim.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, said Saudi forces had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh. He said another ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia, near the Yemen border, was also intercepted.

The Houthis have claimed several attacks on Saudi airports, military sites and oil facilities in recent days. Early on October 8, they warned international airlines against operating in Saudi airspace and said they would face consequences.

The rebels also told people in Saudi Arabia to stay away from oil facilities, which they said were among their targets. The warning came as the Houthis continued a blockade they recently imposed against Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter.

King Khalid International Airport was closed again after the explosions, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. It said the last landing had taken place more than 80 minutes earlier and the last departure more than 90 minutes earlier.

The witness spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Saudi authorities said that Houthi attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports had killed three people. The deaths were the first reported since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces began a major ground and air offensive against the rebels.

The offensive is aimed at taking back territory captured by the Houthis about a month ago along Yemen's western Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthi presence near Bab el-Mandeb has raised concerns about shipping because the waterway is an important alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks by Iran have disrupted maritime traffic.

The attacks in Saudi Arabia have drawn condemnation from countries including Britain, India and the United Arab Emirates, amid growing fears that the conflict could spread further.