One person was killed and 11 others injured in a fresh attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities said, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen said an unidentified projectile targeted Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, triggering a fire. Saudi air defences also intercepted a cruise missile near the airport, while a drone was destroyed in the country’s Eastern Province and a ballistic missile launched towards Khamis Mushait was intercepted.
Emergency alerts were issued in Abha in southern Saudi Arabia early Monday, although the danger had passed, the Saudi Civil Defense said.
The latest attack has raised fresh concerns over Saudi Arabia’s airport security as the kingdom intensifies its military campaign against the Houthis, who are fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
The death toll from attacks targeting airports in Saudi Arabia rose to 18 over the week. Saturday’s attack on Riyadh airport killed 13 people, including four Saudi nationals, while the remaining victims were foreign nationals, according to Saudi authorities.
HOUTHIS CLAIM STRIKES ON RIYADH, DAMMAM
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack in a televised speech on Sunday. He also said the group had targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammamin Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, and two facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed the strike on Dammam airport late Sunday, saying damage assessments and safety inspections were under way.
An eyewitness aboard an aircraft taxiing at the airport told Reuters that a projectile struck the tarmac near several parked aircraft at around 8.30 pm local time, triggering a fire. The aircraft returned to the gate, and passengers were asked to disembark and leave the area.
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed several delays and cancellations involving arrivals and departures at Dammam airport, the kingdom’s third-largest.
Earlier on Sunday, the Houthis renewed their warning against the use of Saudi airports, saying Riyadh would bear responsibility for any failed interceptions.
Britain’s embassy in Saudi Arabia advised its citizens against all but essential travel to Jeddah, Dammam and all airports in the kingdom except Medina airport. US aviation authorities also issued a notice urging American airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.
‘WORSE IS YET TO COME’, HOUTHIS WARN
The attacks come as Saudi Arabia steps up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the rebels seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.
The Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia had carried out 124 air strikes in Yemen over the previous 24 hours. The Houthi-run foreign ministry warned that the situation would worsen unless Riyadh stopped its military operations and interference in Yemen.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis. The conflict has spilled over from the wider war involving Iran, which the US and Israel launched in February.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had told his Saudi counterpart that Tehran was ready to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
SCHOOLS SHIFT TO ONLINE CLASSES
Despite the attacks, a five-day conference organised by international energy organisation WPC Energy began as scheduled in Riyadh on Sunday. A ministerial meeting of the International Energy Forum also went ahead, according to Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry.
However, uncertainty remained over travel arrangements for foreign officials. Germany was attempting to organise a return flight for Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, who was scheduled to return to Berlin from Riyadh on Monday.
Separately, Saudi authorities announced that schools in Riyadh would switch to remote learning from Sunday until Thursday as a precautionary measure amid the security situation.
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