Riyadh airport attacked again and evacuated, officials say

Two regional officials told The Associated Press that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh came under attack again on Saturday, two days after three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed there. One official said the airport had been evacuated. The other said air traffic had stopped. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.usnews+1

This is the latest in a series of strikes on the Saudi capital's main airport. They began in the week after a Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The fighting is putting more pressure on air travel across the kingdom.yourvalley+1

Blast, ambulances and cancellations

Reuters, citing an eyewitness and people briefed on the matter, reported a loud blast at the airport. More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to the site, and travelers were evacuated from parts of the facility. AFP quoted a witness who heard an explosion while waiting to board a flight. A relative told the agency that at least one person was injured in an unspecified incident. Riyadh resident Ahmed Sayed told AP he heard at least two loud explosions.nampa+2

Saudi authorities did not confirm a new attack. The airport posted a message on X telling passengers to "contact your airline directly and confirm your flight status before heading to the airport". Flightradar24 showed that all flights to Riyadh had been diverted or cancelled. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled several flights between their hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. The Houthis made no immediate statement on Saturday. According to the AP, the group reported four strikes on the airport in Sanaa, Yemen's capital.forth+4

A week of escalation

The Houthis claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on the Riyadh airport. One on Wednesday killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight people, and a Thursday attack killed three Saudis and damaged a Saudia aircraft. Air India, flydubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines have suspended flights to Saudi airports. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency also widened its warnings about Saudi airspace. The Houthis have declared the airspace a zone of military operations.english.mathrubhumi+3

Organizers of energy and investment conferences that Riyadh is due to host said they would go ahead as planned. President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on Friday and said, "It's not good" and "I'm not happy." There was no immediate sign of US military support in response.forth+1

Roots of the conflict

An informal truce from 2022 began to break down in July. The Houthis then declared a "maritime embargo" on Saudi Arabia and started attacking Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers. The rebels later took parts of the Red Sea coast, including Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Pro-government forces now say they have "secured" the strait. On Saturday, the Saudi and Omani foreign ministers talked about "supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions".bbc+1