An attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others, Saudi authorities said Saturday. Some of the injured were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press report.
The attack was the latest in a series of assaults on the Saudi capital’s main airport. Earlier in the week, Houthi attacks on the same airport killed three Saudis, including a pilot, the AP reported. On Sunday, the airport was hit again by an unknown projectile, the fourth attack in a week, according to Stars and Stripes.
Saudi civil aviation authorities suspended airport operations and said the extent of injuries and damage was being assessed. An official notice to aviators said the suspension was through midnight. At least 291 flights at the airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Flights were diverted elsewhere, and the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned citizens to avoid the airport.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. was evaluating whether to join Saudi strikes against the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” Trump said. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis for Saturday’s attack, calling it “a full-fledged war crime.” The group had not claimed responsibility for that strike as of the latest reports, although it claimed earlier attacks and warned of further strikes on Saudi airports.
The surge in attacks, including against other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis, the AP reported. The Houthis earlier Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital.
Two regional officials said Houthi attacks on the Riyadh airport on Thursday damaged three planes. The Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while on the ground, with no passengers on board.
Regional officials told the AP last month that Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defense support. One official noted that the U.S. has seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran. U.S. assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive against the Houthis, officials said.
The Houthis this week warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods.
In a separate development, Vice Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces, met with Saudi defense leaders in Riyadh on Oct. 6-7, according to a U.S. Navy readout. The meetings included discussions with the Saudi chief of general staff, the commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, and other senior defense officials.
Sources: DVIDS News · Military.com