Three Saudi nationals were killed and several people were injured in two Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the details on Friday.
The first attack targeted airport facilities. The second struck an aircraft belonging to the national carrier Saudia. Injuries ranged from minor to severe. The attacks also caused material damage.
Airport operations have since resumed, and air traffic has returned to normal, the authority said in a statement on X.
Houthis Claim Responsibility for Missile Strikes
Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks on Thursday. The group said it used two cruise missiles against the Riyadh airport.
The Houthis also claimed they targeted an airport in the southwestern city of Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the Najran claim.
Background of the Escalating Conflict
The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia because of its support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war. Saudi Arabia maintains it is backing an offensive by Yemen’s UN-recognised government to reclaim territory from the Houthis.
These latest casualties follow earlier strikes this week. On Wednesday, Saudi authorities reported that three people were killed in attacks on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest of the country.
The conflict has intensified as an overspill of the wider US-Iran war. It continues to raise tensions across an already unstable region.
