Saudi Arabia just lost a passenger jet to a Houthi missile strike

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh got hit twice, about a day ago now.

The second hit destroyed a Saudia Airlines plane sitting at the gate.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority confirmed both attacks this morning. The first one hit the airport buildings. The second one hit the plane.

Three Saudi nationals are dead. Several more are hurt, some seriously.

Saudia Airlines named one of the dead. Captain Hamoud Ali Al-Kalthami. He was flying the plane that got destroyed.

The other two killed are only described as Saudi citizens. No names yet.

Here's what we know about the plane. It was an Airbus A320. Nobody was on board. It was parked at the gate. And it burned out completely.

Look at the photos and you can still see the Saudia logo on the scorched tail.

So what actually hit it? A missile, or falling debris from one that got shot down? Nobody has confirmed which. Different outlets say different things, and the wreckage photos don't settle it either.

Now here's where it gets messy.

Yahya Saree is the Houthi military spokesperson. He came out and said his forces fired a ballistic missile at the airport, and that it hit exactly what it was aimed at. He says quote "we reiterate our call and warning for the last time to all global airlines" to stay out of Saudi airspace.

So that's the Houthis saying, on the record, that they hit a civilian airport on purpose. And warning every airline on earth to stay out of Saudi skies, except over Mecca and Medina.

But the Saudi-led coalition had already told a different story. Their spokesperson said his forces shot down two missiles heading for Riyadh and one heading for Khamis Mushait. Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency said debris from one of those interceptions hit a kindergarten and a medical clinic. Nobody hurt, they said.