At least 12 people have been killed as the Houthis launched a lethal attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The attack, which a senior Houthi official said the terror group was responsible for, also injured more than 300 people and the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the war broke out.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said the dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.
Just two days ago, Houthi attacks disrupted travel at the airport, with hundreds of flights scrapped.
Saturday’s attack, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade, happened without warning as no alert was issued.
Hospitals were flooded with wounded brought by helicopter and at least six ambulances, according to a reporter for The New York Times.
Repeated attacks have forced the kingdom to cancel major international events.
UK nationals have been told to avoid the airport in a warning issued by the Foreign Office.
At least a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to King Khalid International Airport, an eyewitness told Reuters
|
REUTERS
The US embassy said it was “aware of attacks” and urged citizens to avoid the area.
Doctors were asked to report to hospitals to handle the influx of patients in what was described as a “serious emergency situation”.
And an eyewitness told Reuters that more than a dozen ambulances were headed towards the airport after an explosion was reported.
Donald Trump told reporters the US was now considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis.
The US embassy said it was ‘aware of attacks’ and urged citizens to avoid the area
|
REUTERS
“We’re going to look at it,” he said. “We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, said the US “strongly condemns” the Houthi strikes and confirmed that one American had been killed.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life,” he said “They must stop now.
“We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families.”
Donald Trump told reporters the US was now considering joining Saudi strikes on Houthis
|
REUTERS
Over the summer, the Houthis advanced into the Red Sea coastline in a lightning offensive that gave the group control over the Bab el-Mandeb, a chokepoint for international trade.
A Saudi-led coalition formed in 2015 after Arab countries joined forces to stop the Houthis from taking over Yemen.
In 2022, a temporary ceasefire was brokered after years of air strikes and ground fighting resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousand of people.
But military action resumed in July as the informal truce degraded.
The Houthis have long disapproved of restrictions on airspace enforced by Saudi Arabia and soon announced a new “blockade for blockade” policy, declaring an embargo on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.
The route has increased in importance since the Iran war broke out as it allows the kingdom to export its oil and avoid the heavily-disrupted Strait of Hormuz.
Last weekend, full blown war broke out as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government announced a new military campaign against the Houthis.
Elsewhere in the region on Saturday, UK Maritime Trade Operations received reports of a tanker being struck within the Strait of Hormuz.
Leave a Reply