At least 12 people were killed and 309 others injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi-led military coalition blaming Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the incident.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack occurred amid continued strikes on civilian aviation facilities across the kingdom.
It announced that airport operations had been suspended until further notice.
The fatalities included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
The authority said the injured were receiving medical treatment at several hospitals.
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government condemned the attack, describing it as a war crime and vowing a decisive response.
Coalition Spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the military would respond to what he called a terrorist attack.
The coalition also reported that a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump described the Riyadh airport attack as unacceptable and said he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Asked whether Washington might join Saudi military operations against the Houthis, Trump said the decision would be made after assessing the latest developments.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the attacks, confirming that an American citizen was among those killed.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio wrote on X.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply shocked by the attack, stressing that strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure violated international law.
He called for an immediate end to the attacks.
Meanwhile, several Western embassies in Riyadh, including those of the United States, Germany, Canada and Spain, advised their citizens to avoid the airport amid continuing security concerns.
The US embassy confirmed it was aware of attacks at the facility, while Canada’s embassy warned of ongoing military activity.
Spain’s embassy attributed a new attack to the Houthi rebels.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, did not immediately claim responsibility.
However, their military spokesman, Yahya Saree, reposted an earlier message stating that only pre-approved humanitarian flights would be allowed to land at Riyadh airport, adding the words, “A reminder.”
A Saudi official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said a missile struck a passenger terminal, leaving several people wounded.
An emergency medical source also told Agence France-Presse that doctors were being mobilised across Riyadh to handle the influx of casualties.
The attack comes amid an escalation of fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
The rebels have launched repeated strikes on Saudi targets, including Riyadh airport, in recent days.
The latest violence has also disrupted air travel, with Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelling several flights between their hubs and Riyadh.
Kuwait Airways also cancelled flights on Saturday.
Last month, the Houthis advanced on strategic locations along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to provide air support to government forces seeking to recover the territory.
The rebels subsequently intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, further escalating the conflict following the collapse of a peace deal in July.
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at recapturing territory held by the Houthis, particularly areas around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
(Culled from DW)
(vitalnewsngr.com)
