While the uncertainty continues in the Middle East, the Houthis have claimed they have struck the King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh with a ballistic missile. This was the second major attack that took place within hours, with the earlier strike leaving at least one person dead.
The deceased was a Sudanese national, said officials, adding that eight others, comprising five Saudi citizens, two Egyptian residents and a Pakistan, were also injured in the attack.
The Iran-backed militia had also targeted the Abha International Airport that killed two people and left 28 others wounded. The deceased were Algerian and Moroccan nationals.
“GACA is working in coordination with the relevant authorities to assess the damage, verify the safety of the facilities, and take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and maintain the security and safety of operations within the Kingdom’s civil aviation system,” Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement.
Houthis warn airlines over Saudi airspace
The fresh attacks on disrupted services at the airport, with the Houthis warning international airlines against operating in the Saudi airspace.
“We renew our call and warning, for the last time, to all international airlines against continuing to operate flights in Saudi airspace, as it has now become a theatre for our military operations, with the exception of the airspace over the holy areas of Makkah and Madinah,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on X (previously Twitter).
The Houthis, a Yemen-based group, has kept targeting the Saudis since July, with the United Nations (UN) saying the fighting has displaced more than 200,000 people within the country. Last month, the group had also seized the entire western coastline along the Red Sea, which many described as the deadliest fighting in years.
Yemen has said it would retake all the lost territory from the Houthis, while the Saudis have turned to their allies for help. The Saudis had also requested the United States (US) to intervene, but President Donald Trump refused to strike the Houthis after assurance from the group that it won’t target American assets in the region. However, Trump has approved a proposal of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for USD 24.3 billion.
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