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Yemenupdated 1h ago2 min read

Houthi Fighters Attack Riyadh Airport With Missile, Killing Three and Injuring Dozens

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Houthis launched a missile at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport, killing three Saudis including a pilot. Dozens injured; airport operations suspended with flights diverted or halted.

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Houthi Fighters Attack Riyadh Airport With Missile, Killing Three and Injuring Dozens
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Riyadh Airport Hit

Houthi fighters in Yemen attacked Riyadh airport, the capital of Saudi Arabia, with a missile on Saturday, a diplomatic source told AFP, and the attack triggered deaths and injuries at the airport. AFP said three people, including a pilot, had died Thursday in strikes claimed by these pro-Iranian fighters against the same airport, and a medical source told AFP that “Dozens of people were injured at the airport, mostly Saudi nationals.”

A passenger waiting for a flight near the terminal hit by the missile told AFP, “Everyone was running,” after witnesses reported an explosion while boarding. Riyadh airport had earlier asked travelers on Saturday to check with their airlines whether their flight had been canceled before coming to the site, and it had issued a similar message on Thursday after strikes that also damaged an airplane.

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Reporting for this section20 MinutesAcento

Evacuation, Injuries, Disruption

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority said operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were temporarily suspended after the attack on Saturday afternoon, while officials assessed damage and determined the exact number of injuries. AFP reported that a medical source said at least five people injured at the airport were admitted to intensive care, and the same medical source said “At least five of them, all Saudis, are in intensive care.”

Reuters witnesses and informed sources described a loud explosion and evacuations from parts of the airport, and Reuters said “more than 12 ambulances rushed to the airport.” FlightRadar24 data showed flights to or from Riyadh were diverted or canceled, and Kuwait Airways announced the cancellation of two flights between Kuwait and Riyadh citing the airport’s “closure” related to the security situation.

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Reporting for this sectionAl JazeeraAl-Mahrīyah Net

Yemen Stakes and U.S. Study

Al Jazeera said the Houthis have yet to claim responsibility for the latest attack, and it reported that the Iran-backed group warned aviation companies to avoid using Saudi airspace, saying any aircraft operating there is a target except over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House, “We may. We’re going to look at it,” when asked whether the United States planned to join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, and he added, “We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision.”

Al Jazeera Net said Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh after the Saturday afternoon attack, and it said the General Authority of Civil Aviation described the incident as “blatant attacks” on civil aviation facilities in the Kingdom.

Al Jazeera Net also said fighting in Yemen between the Houthi movement and government forces backed by Saudi Arabia intensified, and it described government military sources telling AFP that their forces advanced near the Red Sea, including the Bab-el-Mandeb region, without taking control of it.

Reporting for this sectionAl JazeeraAl-Mashhad al-Yamani