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The airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated, two regional officials said, two days after three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed as the kingdom faces an extraordinary series of assaults in the new front in the Iran war.
A missile struck a passenger terminal and many people were wounded, one of the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. Ambulances were seen rushing toward the airport.
Flights to Riyadh diverted elsewhere, the Flightradar24 tracker said, almost four hours after the last flight landed at 2:05 p.m. Kuwait Airways said it was canceling flights because the airport had closed. Canada’s embassy advised citizens to avoid all travel to the airport, noting “ongoing military activity.”
King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, including one Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national.
A resident said he heard explosions in Riyadh
There was no immediate Houthi statement Saturday. The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Riyadh resident, Ahmed Sayed, told The Associated Press he heard at least two loud explosions that rocked the capital.
The airport issued a terse alert telling passengers to check their flight status with airlines before heading to the airport. At least 225 flights at the airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea.
The rebels’ gains gave them better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that’s a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.
Though the Houthis have told the AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist. The Houthis previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A U.S. bombing campaign ended that.
Trump ‘not happy’ but no sign of new support
The Saudis have sought support from the U.S. and other allies as its airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure have come under attack. Officials said U.S. assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.
On Friday, as he left the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on the Riyadh airport and told reporters, “It’s not good” and “I’m not happy.” But there has been no immediate sign of U.S. military support to respond to the attacks.
