12 Killed, Over 300 Injured in Latest Attack on Riyadh Airport, Saudi Authorities Say

Reuters

Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid Airport after the attack.

Twelve people have been killed and more than 300 injured in the latest attack on Riyadh’s international airport, Saudi civil aviation authorities said early on Sunday. Some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, while a Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.

The attack was the deadliest reported in a Gulf Arab country since the start of the war with Iran. The conflict has spread to additional fronts amid a recent escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.

A missile struck the King Khalid International Airport complex housing Terminals 3 and 4, which serve domestic flights, a regional official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

According to the Saudi statement, those killed included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan. The injured were receiving treatment at several hospitals.

Saudi civil aviation authorities announced on Saturday that airport operations had been suspended. The closure was subsequently extended by 24 hours, until 9pm on Sunday, according to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.

The attack, the latest in a series of strikes targeting the airport over the past week, is expected to intensify Saudi Arabia’s calls for military support from allies, including the United States. Riyadh has so far appeared to seek to avoid an all-out war with the Houthis.

Shortly after the attack on Saturday afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was evaluating whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the rebels. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” he said. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”

Trump later Saturday said he planned to speak to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said “what happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable.” Asked if the U.S. might get involved, Trump responded, “We’ll find out.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged in a social media post that an American citizen had been killed in the attack, which he condemned.

“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” he said.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis blamed them for the attack, calling it a “fully-fledged war crime” and vowing a firm response. The airport has no military facilities.

Source: AP



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