(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) On Sunday (October 11), King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was attacked again, killing at least one person and injuring 11 others. The victim was a Pakistani citizen.
According to the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority, a projectile hit the airport, causing a fire in Terminal 4. In addition, the air defense system near the airport intercepted a ballistic missile.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had carried out four operations in the past 24 hours using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Its spokesman said that the Houthi armed forces have repeatedly targeted Riyadh Airport, King Fahd International Airport in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam, and two facilities of the Saudi National Oil Company (Aramco). On the evening of the 11th, Saudi officials confirmed that the airport in Dammam was attacked.
The Houthis are supported by the Iranian government; Saudi Arabia leads the coalition against the Houthis. The Houthis increased their threats on the 11th, warning airlines and passengers to avoid Saudi Arabia's airports and airspace. The organization said that if Saudi Arabia continues its military operations in Yemen, "the worst is yet to come."
Previously on Saturday (10th), the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade occurred, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds at Riyadh International Airport. The Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond resolutely to the Houthis in Yemen.
Victims from nine countries: When airport domestic terminal targeted
The group has launched an unprecedented wave of attacks on the kingdom since the collapse of a ceasefire in the protracted war between the Houthis and the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government in July. It was against this backdrop that the weekend attacks took place.
On the 10th, a passenger told AFP that he witnessed the attack on the domestic terminal of the airport. "I was at gate 403," the witness said. "I saw gate 401 being hit, I saw people injured. Everyone was running."
The Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that four Saudi citizens were among the victims, along with two Bangladeshis, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, a Palestinian and a Sudanese. The statement said some of the 309 injured were seriously injured.
Airport operations have been suspended following the attack. Authorities said damage assessment was still ongoing.
A medical source said local health officials launched a rare mass call-up of doctors to deal with the "serious emergency". Two doctors told AFP that among the injured were several pilgrims heading to Mecca.
Schools in Riyadh switched to remote learning for the second time in a month. Emails seen by AFP showed parents in the capital were informed on Sunday that "all schools in Riyadh will switch to remote learning next week", citing an order from the Ministry of Education.
Deadliest attack in a decade: 'A complete war crime'
"The cowardly terrorist attack by the horrific Houthi militia, which killed and injured civilian passengers and airport staff, constitutes an outright war crime," coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said in a statement on X.
Previously, the coalition said it had intercepted missiles aimed at Saudi Arabia and destroyed the launch platform.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on the airport on Thursday. Those attacks killed three people and damaged an aircraft.
Saturday's attack was the deadliest to hit the kingdom since May 2015. At that time, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group launched a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in the eastern province of Qatif, killing 21 worshipers.
Yemen's civil war reignited in July after a four-year UN-brokered ceasefire collapsed. In the previous months, a larger-scale war in the Middle East had shaken the region and disrupted global energy supplies and market prices.
Trump relents: The United States may join the fight against the Houthis
Saudi Arabia, which leads an international coalition that has been militarily supporting the Yemeni government since 2015, is becoming increasingly embroiled in conflicts with its neighbors.
Asked on Saturday whether he had changed his mind and decided to join Saudi Arabia in its attack on the group, Trump said: "We might."
He said he would speak to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and called what was happening in the country "unacceptable." U.S. media reported that Saudi Arabia’s previous request for U.S. military assistance in response to the Houthi armed forces was rejected.
Many embassies warn: avoid airports under attack
The U.S., Canadian, German and Spanish embassies in Saudi Arabia have warned their citizens to avoid the airport. A senior Western diplomat told AFP that several embassies were banning their staff from using the airport "for the next week".
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the "appalling attack" and reiterated Islamabad's commitment to Saudi security in line with the two countries' defense agreement.
The latest attack comes on the eve of the kingdom's high-profile convention and entertainment season, which begins this month. Riyadh typically hosts a dense events calendar, including major investment conferences that attract foreign leaders and business titans.
Fighting in Bab el-Mandeb Strait escalates: Yemeni government forces launch offensive
In Yemen, Saudi-backed government forces are advancing toward areas seized by the Houthis last month around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, military sources told AFP.
The Yemeni government announced an offensive last week with the goal of retaking all areas controlled by the Houthis.
The Houthis confirmed that government forces had launched an offensive in the Bab el-Mandeb area, but claimed to have repelled them. The area is a key chokepoint for oil and cargo transportation in the Red Sea.
The accounts of the warring parties could not be independently verified. The local situation is changing rapidly, making it difficult for reporters to enter for interviews.
