Srinagar, Oct 10: Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport came under a fresh attack on Saturday, prompting an evacuation and suspension of air traffic, as the kingdom faced a series of strikes amid escalating hostilities with Yemen’s Houthi movement, the Associated Press reported.
Two regional officials confirmed the incident to AP, while responsibility for Saturday’s attack had not been immediately established. The development came two days after attacks on the Riyadh airport and a Saudia aircraft killed three Saudi citizens, including airline captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, and wounded several people of different nationalities.
The Saudi national carrier confirmed the death of Captain Alkalthami, whose killing prompted an outpouring of condolences. The attacks on Thursday reportedly struck airport facilities and an aircraft belonging to Saudia, which was on the ground without passengers at the time. Saudi authorities subsequently said airport operations had returned to normal, before the latest reported incident.
The developments follow attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports on October 6 and 7, which killed three people and injured 36 others, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities cited by Reuters. The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for earlier strikes, saying it had targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with drones and missiles.
In response to the earlier attacks, the Saudi-led coalition said it had struck more than 80 Houthi military sites across Yemen, including in Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib. The coalition also announced the destruction of rocket-launch platforms allegedly used to threaten regional security.
The intensifying confrontation has also disrupted regional aviation. At least 124 flights to and from Riyadh were cancelled by Friday, following further cancellations a day earlier, while several international airlines suspended services to Riyadh and other Saudi airports. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has warned of increased risks to civil aviation from recurrent missile and drone attacks, air-defence interceptions and falling debris.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the attacks at the United Nations Security Council, asserting its right to defend its territory and protect civilians and critical infrastructure. Riyadh has also warned that attacks on civilian facilities and threats to maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait pose wider risks to regional security and international trade.
The escalation comes as fighting intensifies between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for efforts to reclaim strategic territory along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast. The renewed fighting has heightened concerns over civilian safety, regional stability and the security of vital shipping routes.
With Riyadh’s airport facing repeated attacks in a matter of days, the fresh incident has added to concerns over the vulnerability of civilian aviation and critical infrastructure across the region. The circumstances of Saturday’s attack and whether it was linked to the earlier Houthi-claimed strikes remained unclear in the reports available.
