Riyadh airport hit again a day after deadly strike killed 13

International

A SECOND attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in as many days has heightened tensions in Saudi Arabia, after a previous strike killed 13 people and wounded 308, authorities said.

According to a BBC report, Saudi military spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said air defences intercepted a missile near the airport as authorities responded to a fire at Passenger Hall No 4 caused by an unidentified projectile. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed injuries in the latest incident.

Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it had deployed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones against Saudi targets over the previous 24 hours. Its military spokesman, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, also reported strikes on oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia.

Saree vowed to continue the group’s “escalating operations deep inside Saudi Arabia” and warned that airports across the country could be targeted, except those in Mecca and Medina. The Houthis also urged airlines and passengers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace.

Saturday’s attack was the deadliest single assault on a Gulf Arab country since the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran began in February. The Saudi-led military coalition condemned the strike as a “war crime” and vowed to retaliate.

Saudi authorities said the victims included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and one citizen each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. India’s embassy confirmed on Sunday that an Indian man had died from injuries sustained in the attack. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the death of an American citizen, while UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was “appalled”.

US President Donald Trump said Washington would decide quickly whether to strike the Houthis. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain could potentially provide further support to Saudi Arabia.

The latest attacks come amid renewed fighting following the collapse in July of a temporary ceasefire brokered in 2022 between the Houthis and Saudi-led forces. The Houthis have cited Saudi support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government as justification for their attacks.

Meanwhile, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported Saudi air strikes on Sanaa airport and a residential home, where a child was reportedly killed and six people injured. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the strikes, and the BBC has been unable to verify the reports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart on Sunday that Tehran was ready to help “facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen”, referring to the Houthi administration.(MyTVCebu)