Several Injured in Riyadh Airport Attack
Multiple people were injured and operations suspended following a fresh attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh targeted in a fresh attack, injuring multiple people.
- Saudi Civil Aviation Authority suspends all operations at the major hub on Saturday.
- Houthi movement in Yemen escalates missile and drone strikes against Saudi infrastructure.
- US and Western embassies urgently advise citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas.
Several individuals sustained injuries in a renewed attack on an international airport located in Saudi Arabia's capital city of Riyadh, triggering widespread panic and emergency responses from local authorities and medical teams at the scene.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were officially suspended on Saturday following the attack, according to a statement released by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority. Eyewitness reports cited by Reuters indicated that more than a dozen ambulances rushed swiftly toward the airport complex to transport casualties.
The strike occurred a day after authorities reported that three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, were killed in two previous attacks on the same hub by Iran-backed Houthi forces. Another three fatalities were recorded in Houthi strikes on two separate Saudi airports on October 6 and 7.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
A source at a local hospital informed AFP that dozens of people suffered wounds during Saturday's attack. Medical personnel across local facilities were instructed to report immediately to hospitals to manage the influx of casualties.
"I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running."
Eyewitness at gate 401 in the domestic terminal
In response to the security breach, the United States embassy stated it was fully aware of the attacks on King Khalid International Airport and strongly urged American citizens to stay away from the aviation hub and its surrounding districts. Western embassies in Saudi Arabia issued similar travel warnings.
This suspected escalation at Riyadh's main airport highlights the unraveling of the fragile informal truce brokered in 2022, which has severely deteriorated since July. The Houthi campaign targeting Saudi airports, oil facilities, and Red Sea shipping lanes represents a retaliatory strategy against the Saudi-led coalition's military involvement in Yemen's civil war. These developments raise international concerns regarding regional stability, aviation safety, and commercial shipping chokepoints near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Several Gulf airlines responded to the security threat by cancelling flights to and from Riyadh. Kuwait Airways explicitly cited ongoing security concerns for grounding its services, while aviation tracker Flightradar confirmed that all incoming flights to Riyadh were either diverted or cancelled.
Source: BBC World
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