Yemenupdated 1h ago2 min read
Houthi Rebels Missile Attack Kills 12, Injures 309, Shuts Riyadh King Khalid Airport
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Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport Riyadh killed 12 and injured 309 Operations at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport suspended after the attack
Riyadh airport hit again
Saudi Arabia suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10, after a missile attack attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels killed at least 12 people and injured 309. The strike came two days after a Saudia Airbus aircraft was severely damaged by fire during an earlier attack on the same airport, and the latest strike hit the airport's passenger terminal complex. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed the casualties and the temporary suspension of airport operations, and it diverted all arriving flights while airlines canceled departures from the Saudi capital. A traveler described seeing part of the ceiling collapse near a departure gate, and emergency services dispatched ambulances and helicopters to transport the wounded to hospitals in Riyadh.
Retaliation and new injuries
Saudi Arabia said it would “firmly” retaliate after the Saturday attack on Riyadh’s international airport that killed at least 12 people, as Yemen’s Houthis claimed a new attack on Saudi’s main air hub on Sunday that resulted in fresh injuries. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack on Sunday evening targeted King Khalid International Airport and had “resulted in injuries,” without elaborating, while the coalition said a projectile fell near King Fahd international airport in Dammam in the country’s east. Major General Turki al-Maliki said air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport, and the coalition described the earlier Riyadh airport strike as a “full-fledged war crime.” Yahya Saree said the Houthis carried out multiple operations targeting King Khalid Airport, warning: “Take our warnings seriously, and Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions.”
Air travel warnings spread
The Houthis renewed their warning to airlines and travelers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, saying they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theater of operations for their forces. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh raised the alert level for American citizens and restricted access for its personnel to the Saudi airports of Jeddah and Dammam after the Houthi attack on Riyadh Airport on Saturday, which left 12 dead and more than 300 injured, according to a statement. The Indian embassy in Riyadh announced on Sunday the death of one of its citizens who died from injuries sustained in the unprecedented attack on Riyadh Airport on Saturday, raising the death toll to 13 in addition to hundreds of wounded. The Saudi-led coalition and Saudi authorities continued to suspend or redirect airport operations, while the Houthis warned that the group remains committed to its “airport-to-airport, siege-to-siege, escalation-to-escalation” approach until its objectives are achieved.