Coalition vows firm response to Houthi war crime at Riyadh airport

RIYADH — The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said Saturday's Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh constituted a war crime and vowed a firm response in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said the October 10 attack, which targeted a passenger terminal at the airport and caused civilian deaths and injuries, constituted a fully fledged war crime under international humanitarian law and the customary rules of war.

Al-Maliki described the attack as a terrorist act carried out by the Houthi militia, saying it violated humanitarian principles and moral values.

He stressed that the Joint Forces Command of the coalition would respond decisively to the attack in accordance with international humanitarian law and the rules of warfare.

The statement came after Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed that 12 people were killed and 309 others injured in Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport.

The fatalities included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

GACA said several of the injured remained in critical condition and were receiving medical treatment at hospitals.

The authority also confirmed that the attack caused property damage, with assessments underway to determine its extent.

Saturday's attack prompted the temporary suspension of airport operations while authorities assessed the damage and verified the safety of facilities.