The dead include four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and nationals of the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and Palestine
At least 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured on Saturday when Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi authorities said. It was the third attack on the airport this week.
What happened
The strike came without warning, and Saudi Arabia’s threat alert system issued no alert. One eyewitness inside the airport saw an explosion followed by multiple injured people on the ground. An injured traveller said something flew across the sky outside before part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed.
The head of the Houthi media office said on X that the group had “shut down Riyadh international airport.”
Who the victims were
Saudi civil aviation authorities said the dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the US, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan. Some of the injured were in critical condition and were being treated at several hospitals. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American was among the dead and said the US strongly condemns the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Third strike in a week
The Houthis had claimed a ballistic missile hit on the Riyadh airport on Thursday, and Saudi aviation authorities said that day’s attacks killed at least three Saudi citizens, including a pilot. Days earlier, attacks on the Abha and King Khalid airports killed three civilians and injured 36.
Flights disrupted, Riyadh vows response
Houthi attacks earlier in the week had already led several airlines to suspend or cancel flights to the Saudi capital, shortly before Riyadh is due to host major energy and investment conferences. The attack forced the kingdom to temporarily suspend airport operations. A Saudi-led military coalition has promised to respond.
A widening conflict
The Houthis have escalated a campaign against the kingdom that they began this summer. The attacks come amid the wider Iran war, and the Houthis have also been hitting Saudi oil infrastructure, raising fears of the conflict spreading. Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government say they have carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in Houthi-held territory, while the Houthis say these killed civilians, including women and children.
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Saudi is going through sad days and MBS testing times for his leadership. The problem with entire middle east that they are unable to reconcile with Shia. They should clean up the Princess clans & normalize them. NO more freebies. They have money but it is in USA. Saudi never had any sensible foreign policy. they have funded unlimited the radical Islamic groups and groomed them with endless funds. Karma returns to bite.
This attack proves that the US is just not capable of protecting any of the countries with their bases.