Houthi Attacks Kill Three at Riyadh Airport

Three people were killed and several others injured after Houthi attacks targeted Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, Saudi officials said. The strikes hit airport facilities and a Saudi aircraft, causing flight disruptions and raising aviation security concerns.

Saudi officials said the first attack targeted airport facilities while the second struck a Saudi aircraft on the ground. The Saudia Group confirmed that Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami was among those killed, while the damaged aircraft had no passengers onboard.

Saudi officials said the attacks wounded people from multiple countries, with authorities describing the affected group as "of different nationalities."

The Saudia Group later said injuries among citizens and other nationalities "ranged from minor to serious," according to the aviation statement. At least 124 flights to and from Riyadh were cancelled by Friday afternoon, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware, following hundreds of cancellations the previous day.

Several airlines suspended operations involving Riyadh as the security situation developed. The Indian Embassy said Air India halted services through Saturday, while the Lufthansa Group suspended flights to Riyadh through Oct. 16, and Pakistan International Airlines also stopped services to the city.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace after assessing increased risks from missile and drone activity. The agency said its updated notice addressed "recurrent missile and drone attacks, together with the activation of air-defence systems, create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft, as well as risks associated with missile and drone overflights, interception activity and falling debris."

The attacks marked a major escalation in the conflict involving Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-led forces. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed three rocket launch platforms used by the Houthis, while officials said the kingdom had sought support from allies including the United States.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Saudi Arabia had grounds to respond after the airport attacks. He said Saudi Arabia has a "legitimate right to defend its people and protect its critical infrastructure."

Saudi allies including Kuwait and Pakistan condemned the strikes. The attacks came after renewed fighting linked to efforts by Saudi-led forces to retake areas along Yemen's western Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohamed al-Jaber wrote on X that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait had been "cleansed" from Houthi remnants, without providing further details. Meanwhile, Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen reported overnight explosions and protests against Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Yemen's conflict has continued since Houthi forces seized Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015. The war has killed more than 150,000 people and contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, while a 2022 ceasefire was largely maintained until this summer.