Three killed, 36 injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, Riyadh says

Three civilians have been killed and 36 injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on two airports in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were targeted in two separate attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The attack on Abha international airport killed two female residents, a Moroccan and an Algerian, and injured 28 others, the Saudi General Authority reported.

The attack on King Khalid international airport, which is home to Saudi F‑15 and Typhoon fighter jets , in the capital Riyadh killed a Sudanese citizen and injured eight residents, including five Saudi citizens.

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said it is working, “in full integration and continuous coordination with the relevant security authorities”, to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers.

On September 18, Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired towards the airport in Riyadh from Yemen.

A day later, at least one explosion was heard near the airport on September 19 in Riyadh, and a large plume of black smoke was seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid international airport.

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces from the country’s internationally recognised government are locked in escalating combat with Iran-aligned Houthi forces who seized a broad swath of territory astride the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait which connects the Arabian and Red Seas.

Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Riyadh has issued another security alert for Americans in Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing security situation, reminding “all US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance”.