Houthi Strikes Kill, Injure Dozens in Saudi Arabia
A fresh Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia has killed one person and injured 11 others, according to the country’s civil aviation authority. The strike on Sunday came a day after another deadly attack forced authorities to suspend airport operations. The Iran-backed Houthi group claimed responsibility for multiple attacks over a 24-hour period and threatened further strikes on Saudi Arabia’s transport hubs. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the group said a projectile struck the airport, sparking a fire, while air defences intercepted another missile nearby. Authorities extended the airport closure by 24 hours until 2100 GMT on Monday. Saudi Arabia also reported attacks on Dammam airport and said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile heading towards the southern city of Khamis Mushait. The attacks follow an earlier deadly assault that reportedly killed 12 people and injured 309 others, according to Saudi aviation authorities.
The escalating attacks have drawn international condemnation, with the Saudi-led coalition describing Saturday’s assault as a “full-fledged war crime” and vowing a decisive response. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for a political solution, saying Tehran was ready to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Meanwhile, the Houthis reported Saudi strikes in Yemen’s Sanaa governorate, claiming that one civilian was killed and five others injured. The United Nations and several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the earlier attack. Security analyst Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa said Saudi Arabia’s size made it difficult to intercept every missile and drone launched by the Houthis. Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its conflict with the Houthis since 2015, while fighting has also continued around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key international shipping route. Claims by the opposing sides about developments on the ground remain difficult to verifyindependently.
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