12 Killed in Houthi Attack on Saudi’s Riyadh Airport, Including Two Bangladeshis

Darwin, October 11: At least 12 people have been killed in an attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi armed group on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Among the dead are four Saudi nationals and two Bangladeshis.

The Saudi civil aviation authority disclosed the information in a statement on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.

According to the statement, the other victims include one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese national. This is the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the war began in February, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said an assessment of the damage at King Khalid International Airport is underway. Airport operations have been temporarily suspended as a result.

The Houthis’ sustained attacks on Riyadh’s airport this week have dealt a major blow to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to transform the Saudi capital into a global hub for travel and business.

The attacks have also raised concerns that major international events scheduled to take place in the coming weeks could be disrupted.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday. He said the strike was carried out in retaliation for Saudi attacks on Yemen. He also alleged that Saudi strikes had targeted civilian infrastructure.

Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis launched the attack “so that the world understands that Yemen’s airports, seaports, wedding venues, funeral halls, hospitals and markets should not be attacked or damaged. The same rules that apply to these facilities in Yemen must also apply to similar civilian facilities anywhere else in the world.”

Saudi officials did not immediately comment on the attack. However, a reporter for The New York Times reportedly saw at least six ambulances heading toward the airport. Police had also blocked access roads leading to the facility.

Source: Al Jazeera