A Houthi attack on Riyadh International Airport has killed at least 12 people and injured 300 others, Saudi Arabia said, in the third assault on the airport this week.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said those killed on Saturday included four Saudis, two Bangladeshi nationals and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The attack was described as the deadliest in the kingdom for more than a decade.
The latest strikes came as fighting intensified in Yemen, where the Houthis are battling forces aligned with the internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia is conducting an air campaign against the Iran-backed group in support of the Yemeni government’s ground offensive.
Trump weighs US involvement
US President Donald Trump condemned what he called a “terrible” attack and said he would speak soon with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Mr Trump also said Washington was considering whether to join Saudi Arabia’s military action against the Houthis. “We may. We’re gonna look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We’ll move very quickly,” he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the attack had killed an American and called for an end to “these reprehensible attacks”. He added: “We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families.”
International condemnation
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, said strikes on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia represented “a grave escalation”.
“Such actions pose a serious threat to regional security, perpetuate cycles of violence and complicate even more peace efforts for Yemen,” he said.
Egypt’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a “flagrant violation” of international law and accusing the Houthis of disregarding the safety of civilians.
Qatar also condemned the strikes as a “serious violation of Saudi sovereignty and a direct threat to the security of the region, the safety of civilians, civil facilities and air navigation”. Doha expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and said it supported “all legitimate measures” taken by the kingdom to protect its territory and security.
Palestine’s foreign ministry voiced “full solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” and backed measures intended to safeguard its security, sovereignty and the safety of citizens and residents.
Japan’s embassy in Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the repeated Houthi attacks, saying assaults on civilians “cannot be tolerated” under any circumstances.
