Riyadh, Oct 12: One person was killed and 11 others injured in a second strike on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, officials said, as Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the person killed in Sunday’s attack was a Pakistani resident. The strike reportedly caused a fire in one of the airport’s passenger halls.
Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said air defences had intercepted a missile near the airport, while authorities were dealing with a fire caused by an “unknown projectile” that struck Passenger Hall No. 4.
The latest attack came a day after a strike on the same airport killed 13 people and injured 308 others, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority.
Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the group had targeted the airport using ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, over the previous 24 hours.
Saree also claimed attacks on oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia, vowing to continue what he described as “escalating operations deep inside Saudi Arabia”. He warned that Saudi airports could be targeted, with the exception of those in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The Houthis have said their attacks are in response to Saudi Arabia’s support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war and an air strike on Sanaa airport. However, Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the reported attack on the Yemeni capital.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that a Saudi air strike had hit Sanaa International Airport and a residential home, killing a child and injuring six people. The report could not be independently verified.
Saturday’s attack was among the deadliest strikes on a Gulf Arab country since the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran began in February. The Saudi-led coalition condemned the attack as a “war crime” and vowed to respond.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said the victims of Saturday’s strike included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and citizens of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia also confirmed that an Indian man had died from injuries sustained in the attack.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks and confirmed that a US citizen had been killed. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was “appalled” by the developments.
US President Donald Trump said Washington would make a decision on whether to strike the Houthis and would “move very quickly”. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting indicated that Britain could potentially provide additional support to Saudi Arabia.
The latest escalation follows the collapse in July of a temporary ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi-led forces that had been brokered in 2022.
The Houthis control a significant part of Yemen and have repeatedly clashed with forces backed by Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has expressed concern that the Iran-backed group could expand its control and strengthen Tehran’s influence along Saudi Arabia’s southern border.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart on Sunday that Tehran was ready to assist in facilitating dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, referring to the Houthi administration.
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