Riyadh airport attack triggers evacuation as Saudi-Houthi conflict widens

Riyadh's King Khalid Airport was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated, according to two regional officials, in the latest in a series of assaults on Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure. The attack came days after three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed, as the kingdom faces a sharp escalation in attacks linked to the war involving Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, who have claimed this week's attacks on Riyadh airport and other targets in Saudi Arabia. "We may. We're going to look at it," Trump told reporters. "We just found out about the recent attack. So we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."

In the latest strike, a missile hit a complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights at Riyadh airport, and many people were wounded, one of the regional officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Ambulances were seen rushing to the airport.

Saudi civil aviation authorities said operations at the airport had been suspended and that the number of wounded and the extent of the damage were still being assessed. The airport had a heavy police presence, with all entrances blocked and lights around the complex dimmed. Flight tracker Flightradar24 said flights were diverted elsewhere. The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada were among the countries that warned their citizens to avoid the airport.

The surge in attacks has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis. There was no immediate Houthi statement on Saturday. The attacks have unsettled markets and the wider region, with fighting in Yemen intensifying as Saudi-backed government forces, supported by coalition air strikes, try to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. Those gains have given the rebels better surveillance over a shipping corridor seen as a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.

The Houthis have told AP and others they are targeting only Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, but fears of wider attacks remain. The group had earlier attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, describing it as solidarity with Palestinians, before a US bombing campaign brought that to an end.

Regional officials told AP last month that Saudi Arabia was running low on missile interceptors and had asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defence support to the region. One of the officials said the US had also seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran. Officials said US assistance to Saudi Arabia has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that its foreign minister and Oman's foreign minister had spoken by phone about the importance of "supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions" in the region. Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has at times acted as a mediator in the region.

Saudi authorities also warned the public this week that "filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability". The Houthis warned global airlines "for the last time" about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they called a theatre for their military operations.

At least 225 flights at Riyadh airport were cancelled over the past 24 hours, according to FlightAware. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan Airlines were among the carriers that suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next few days. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its guidance on Saudi airspace, citing the Houthis' ability to strike deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a "greater focus on aviation infrastructure". It said missile and drone attacks, and interception efforts, "create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft". In Thursday's attack, Saudi Arabia's national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground, with no passengers on board. Saturday's attack underlined the growing threat to Saudi aviation and infrastructure as the conflict widens.

With PTI Inputs

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