Houthis attack Riyadh airport again, a day after 12 killed
The Houthi terrorist militia continued its heinous attacks on civilian and vital facilities in Saudi Arabia, shelling King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh yesterday, a day after 12 people were killed at the airport.
The latest strike caused a fire in Terminal 4 of the airport, while Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy, announced the interception of a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport.
While the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority reported yesterday that the latest attack resulted in several injuries, the Houthi terrorist militia once again warned airlines, passengers, experts, and airport workers against using Saudi airports and airspace, claiming that “the airspace has become a theater for operations.”
Al-Maliki had announced the day before that a projectile fell in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia in the Al-Kharj province was intercepted and destroyed, in addition to the destruction of a drone in the Eastern Province.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced on the night of Saturday into Sunday that the “brutal attack” targeting King Khalid International Airport resulted in the deaths of 12 people—four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one each from Egypt, the United States, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan—and injured 309 others, including those with critical injuries.
Hours after announcing that the United States might join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, US President Donald Trump stated that “what happened in Saudi Arabia is unacceptable,” confirming that he would speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
For his part, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi condemned the attack, emphasizing that the deliberate targeting of civilian airports and civilians is a terrorist crime that warrants serious international action and decisive measures to deter those responsible and prevent recurrence. He reiterated that the security of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the security of GCC states, and that Gulf countries support the Kingdom in the measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, and assets.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that attacks carried out by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a vortex of violence, threatening essential transport and energy lines, and causing repercussions that extend beyond the region to the world. She affirmed her solidarity with Saudi Arabia, calling for an immediate halt to the bloody attacks on civilians.
For her part, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas described the attack as a horrific terrorist act, stressing the importance of enhancing coordination between the European maritime operation “Aspides,” which is concerned with protecting navigation security and freedom of movement in the Red Sea, and the Saudi-led multinational maritime defense coalition.
In Paris, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, describing it as abominable, and affirmed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and continued support for the Kingdom in defending its territory and facilities.
