Several wounded as missile hits King Khalid airport
Saudi Arabia suspended operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday after a suspected missile strike by Yemen’s Houthi rebels left several people wounded. The riyadh airport attack happened at around 3pm local time, and a diplomatic source told AFP the sprawling facility was struck by a Houthi missile.
The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed an attack had injured several people at the airport, though the number of injured was still being assessed. Operations were suspended temporarily pending an assessment of the damage and verification of safety, the authority said.
A witness at the domestic terminal described chaos after the strike. “I was on gate 403,” the witness told AFP. “I saw 401 hit, I saw injured people in front of my eyes. Everyone was running.” Three witnesses confirmed people were evacuated from the airport. A relative of one wounded person said they had been hit on the shoulders and arms by shattered glass.
Two doctors told AFP that several pilgrims heading to Makkah were among the injured. A source at a local hospital said five people were in intensive care, with “dozens of people injured” in all.
PIA had already suspended its own flights to Riyadh earlier after Houthi strikes on the kingdom, and a Saudi pilot was killed in earlier attacks targeting Riyadh airport.
Flights cancelled after the Riyadh airport attack
Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said 155 arriving and 161 departing flights had been cancelled, while 222 flights were delayed. At around 6pm local time, it noted that flights bound for the airport were “diverting elsewhere, mainly to Jeddah at the moment”. It later shared a notice to airmen suspending operations until midnight.
The Saudi health ministry ordered a rare mass call-up of emergency doctors. “We were told we are dealing with a ‘serious emergency’. Injured are being moved to hospitals across Riyadh,” a medical source told AFP, adding that many of the wounded were in critical condition.
Embassies warn citizens to stay away from the airport
The United States embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was “aware of attacks” on Riyadh airport on Saturday and called on American citizens to avoid the area. The Canadian, German and Spanish embassies issued similar warnings. Spain’s embassy alerted its nationals on X to a “new attack by the Houthis”.
A senior Western diplomat told AFP that several embassies had “decided to prohibit their staff’s travel to and from Riyadh airport over the next week as a prudential step”. The diplomat said the Houthis were striking civilian targets: “Houthis are attacking civilian targets. Riyadh airport is a civilian target.”
Thursday’s deadly strikes set the stage
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers since a truce in the long-running war unravelled in July. On Thursday, the group claimed strikes on the kingdom that killed three people and damaged a plane. They announced no new attacks on Saturday. Pakistan’s foreign office has said alliance forces will not cross into Yemen to attack the Houthis, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has spoken about direct involvement under the Makkah pact. Kuwait has condemned Houthi attacks on Makkah and Madina as the campaign widened.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, Saudi-led government forces were advancing against the Houthis around the Bab al-Mandab strait, military sources told AFP. The Yemeni government last week announced a counter-offensive to retake all Houthi-held areas, after the group seized the country’s entire western coastline in a lightning offensive. The Houthis confirmed the attack in the Bab al-Mandab area but claimed to have repelled it. Claims by the warring parties have been impossible to verify independently, with access for journalists difficult.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at Riyadh airport on Saturday?
Saudi authorities say the airport was struck by a missile at around 3pm local time, leaving several people wounded. A diplomatic source attributed the strike to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Operations were suspended pending a damage assessment.
Who is behind the Riyadh airport attack?
A diplomatic source briefed on the matter told AFP the airport was hit by a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Houthis claimed deadly strikes on Saudi Arabia on Thursday but did not announce any new attack on Saturday.
Are flights operating at King Khalid airport?
Operations were temporarily suspended on Saturday. Flightradar24 reported 155 arrivals and 161 departures cancelled and 222 flights delayed, with inbound flights diverting to Jeddah. A notice to airmen suspended operations until midnight.
Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi airports?
The Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers since a UN-brokered truce in the Yemen war collapsed in July. Saudi Arabia leads an international coalition backing Yemen’s government, and Riyadh has found itself drawn deeper into its neighbour’s civil war.
