Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted in another attack on Sunday, with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) saying that assessments of injuries and damage were underway. The latest incident came a day after Saturday’s attack on the airport, one of the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in almost a decade.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition said that air defences had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport. The coalition also reported that Terminal 4 at the airport had been hit by an unidentified projectile, triggering a fire.
Separately, GACA said that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was also targeted on Sunday evening. Damage assessments and safety inspections were underway.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said on Sunday that an Indian national, among the 11 Indians injured in Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport, had died. The Embassy expressed condolences to the bereaved family and said it was in touch with them to provide all possible assistance, including support for the early repatriation of the mortal remains.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed grief over the death and offered condolences to the bereaved family. He said the Embassy was extending all possible assistance and doing everything necessary to support those affected during this difficult time.
The Indian Embassy said it had been monitoring the condition of the injured since the attack and had contacted local authorities and hospital officials to check on their well-being. Embassy officials also visited the hospitals where the injured Indians were admitted. In its latest update, the Embassy said three injured Indians were in intensive care but stable, two others remained admitted in regular wards, and the remaining injured had been discharged.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi group claimed that it had carried out four missile and drone operations against Saudi targets in response to what it described as Saudi aggression against Yemen. According to a report by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, the claimed targets included King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Shugadam gas facility and Tanajib oil refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
The Houthis also warned international companies, aviation workers and travellers against operating flights to Saudi airports, claiming that they were unsafe, while exempting airports and airspace serving Mecca and Medina.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s government armed forces, aligned with the internationally recognised government, said they had carried out 1,732 targeting operations, neutralised more than 900 Houthi fighters, and destroyed or disabled more than 287 military vehicles and other assets under their “Dawn of Yemen” operation.
