Attack: Saudi Arabia: Twelve dead in attack on Riyadh airport

After the attack on the airport in Riyadh, the Saudi aviation authority reports twelve dead and numerous injured. Operations were temporarily suspended.

Column of smoke over the airport in Riyadh. Photo: Uncredited/UGC via AP/dpa

Riyadh. According to the state aviation authority, twelve people were killed in an attack on the main airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh. 309 others were injured, some of whom were in mortal danger early on Sunday morning.

Recently, the Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen had increased its attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia and also claimed responsibility for ballistic missile attacks on Riyadh airport and other facilities. However, there was initially no letter of responsibility from the rebel group for the attack on Saturday.

Due to the attack, operations at King Khalid Airport were temporarily suspended. According to the aviation authority, four of the people killed were of Saudi nationality and two were of Bangladeshi nationality. One person each from the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and the Palestinian territories also died.

The airport was last attacked on Thursday. Three Saudi nationals were killed and others were injured.

The background is military escalation

The background to the attacks is a military escalation between the Houthis and government troops supported by Saudi Arabia in war-torn Yemen. The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognized government for more than a decade. Saudi Arabia repeatedly carries out air strikes in its neighboring country.

At the weekend, the Yemeni government announced a large-scale offensive to retake all areas controlled by the Houthis. The Houthis have recently been able to gain strategically important areas for themselves.

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