Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that three Saudi nationals lost their lives and several others were injured during two separate attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday. The authority detailed that the initial assault targeted airport facilities, while the subsequent strike hit an aircraft operated by the Saudi state airline Saudia.
The injuries sustained ranged from minor to severe, and the attacks inflicted material damage on the airport infrastructure. Despite this, airport operations have since resumed, and air traffic has returned to normal levels.
The Houthi movement from Yemen claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they launched two cruise missiles at the Riyadh airport. Additionally, the group asserted that they targeted an airport in the southwestern city of Najran—though Saudi officials have not verified this claim—as well as an airbase in Khamis Mushait using ballistic missiles.
The Houthis have justified their actions by citing Saudi Arabia’s support for government forces in Yemen’s ongoing civil war. Saudi Arabia backs a UN-recognized Yemeni government offensive aimed at reclaiming territory from the Houthi rebels.
These fatalities follow earlier strikes this week, when Saudi authorities reported three deaths resulting from attacks on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the country’s southwest. The conflict, which has become an extension of the broader US-Iran tensions, continues to destabilize the region and risks drawing additional states into the mountainous warfare.
