Saudi coalition vows 'firm' response after airport attack kills 3
Recent Houthi strikes on King Khalid International Airport result in casualties and flight disruptions, escalating regional tensions.
Quick Look
- The Saudi-led coalition destroyed three Houthi rocket launch platforms following a deadly attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.
- The incident, which killed three, has led to flight suspensions and increased EASA safety warnings for Saudi airspace.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Houthis have fought a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, when the kingdom entered Yemen's civil war to reinstate the internationally backed government.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched strikes that destroyed targets used by the Houthis, a coalition spokesperson said Friday.
Major General Turki al-Maliki said three rocket launch platforms were destroyed, adding that Houthi attacks on civilians would be met with a "firm response."
The Saudi-Houthi conflict has intensified in recent weeks, with Saudi Arabian authorities having said Friday that Houthi attacks on Riyadh's main international airport on Thursday killed three Saudi citizens and injured several people of "different nationalities."
The King Khalid International Airport was targeted twice on Thursday, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said. The first attack aimed at airport facilities and the second targeted an aircraft that belonged to the Saudia airline.
Hundreds of flights were canceled because of Thursday's attacks, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
The Indian Embassy later said Air India had suspended operations through to Saturday, while the Lufthansa Group said its airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh through to October 16.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Friday recommended airlines not to operate in additional portions of Saudi Airspace in an updated bulletin.
The EASA said recent attacks had demonstrated the ability and the intent of the Houthis to strike targets deeper inside Saudi territory, including the capital.
On Thursday, the Iran-backed Houthis warned employees at Saudi oil facilities that oil installations remain a target.
The Houthis have fought a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, when the kingdom entered Yemen's civil war to reinstate the internationally backed government in Sanaa. Houthi rebels took control of the capital in 2014.
But ever since, the Saudi-led coalition has found it hard to turn the tide of the war that quieted under a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022.
In the last weeks, the Houthis stormed down Yemen's coast, capturing a wide swath of territory that has given them greater control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
A Saudi-led coalition has pressed a counteroffensive against the Houthis fighters and recaptured several areas along the strait, Yemeni officials have said. But the fighting appears to be far from over.
Open Questions
- What is the full extent of damage to Saudi oil facilities?
- Will other international airlines suspend flights to Riyadh?
