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Yemenupdated 2h ago2 min read

Houthis Strike Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport Again, Killing Pakistani Resident

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Pakistani resident killed in Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport attack. At least 12 dead and over 300 injured across the airport strikes.

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Houthis Strike Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport Again, Killing Pakistani Resident
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Riyadh airport hit again

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport again on Sunday, killing a Pakistani resident and wounding 11 others, Saudi authorities said. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said it extended the suspension of operations at the airport in Riyadh to complete procedures to verify the safety of the facilities. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed a drone and a ballistic missile aimed at Saudi Arabia, with coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki reporting the interceptions on Monday.

The fresh attack followed a strike that halted airport operations on Saturday, and the Houthis threatened to keep targeting the kingdom’s transit hubs. Al-Manar said the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out an operation targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in three phases, resulting in the disruption of air traffic and the complete closure of the airport.

Reporting for this sectionFrance 24Agencia Noticias Argentinas

Iran pushes diplomacy

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a telephone call that “Insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaiel Baghaei said Tehran was open to resolving the conflict through dialogue, adding “We do not want hostilities to continue between two Muslim countries.” Iran was ready to provide assistance to facilitate the start of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and to help achieve a political solution.

Haaretz said Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart that “diplomacy is the only way forward” as tensions escalated after Houthi attacks on Saudi targets. Military defence and maritime analyst Alexandru Hudisteanu said Iran’s offer to mediate adds to evidence that Houthi attacks on the Kingdom are coordinated with Tehran.

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Reporting for this sectionAl Jazeera

Escalation and wider fallout

Saudi Arabia extended the closure of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation said the extension was necessary to complete safety inspections and assess whether airport facilities were ready to resume operations. DW reported that the attacks killed 14 people and injured hundreds, and it said the airport remained closed on Monday with widespread disruption to air travel. The Yemeni Armed Forces launched 124 airstrikes in the past 24 hours, targeting Sana’a and governorates including Taiz, Ma’rib, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, and Sa’dah.

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat said the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resulted in 12 deaths and 309 injuries and described condemnations that stressed targeting civilian facilities violates international law. The Al-Manar statement warned international companies, experts, employees, workers, and travelers to not operate flights to Saudi airports, saying they are unsafe except for the airports and airspace of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Reporting for this sectionDWAl-Manar TV Lebanon