A Riyadh airport attack has killed 12 people and injured more than 300, Saudi civil aviation authorities said, as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatens to widen across the region.
Some of those injured at King Khalid International Airport were in a critical condition. The dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan.
A missile struck the airport complex housing terminals three and four, which serve domestic flights, a regional official said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and Saudi authorities have not assigned blame.
The strike was the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war. It followed several attacks on the airport over the past week in which four people were killed.
Saudi civil aviation authorities suspended operations at the airport until midnight, while entrances were blocked and police were deployed around the complex. Flights were diverted elsewhere, according to flight-tracking data.
The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned their citizens to avoid the airport before later issuing statements of condolence.
The attack is likely to intensify pressure on Saudi Arabia’s allies, including the United States, to provide military support. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was considering whether the US should join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
“We may. We’re going to look at it,” Mr Trump said. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
Saudi airport attacks increase as Yemen fighting escalates
The latest wave of attacks began after a Saudi-led coalition launched a major offensive against the Houthis in Yemen. The coalition has been providing air support to government forces attempting to regain territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport, in territory held by the rebels, earlier on Saturday. They had not issued an immediate statement on the Riyadh attack.
The Saudi-led coalition later said a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. It also said a Houthi-launched ballistic missile had been intercepted in Al-Kharj governorate, south-east of Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil exporter, has also reported attacks on airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure. The strikes have unsettled markets and raised concerns about the security of vital shipping routes.
Houthi gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have given the rebels improved surveillance of shipping on a corridor seen as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking vessels.
The rebels have told media organisations that they are targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade imposed in retaliation for measures against them. They previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians, before a US bombing campaign sharply reduced the attacks.
Airlines suspend flights to Saudi Arabia
The Houthis warned international airlines this week against operating in Saudi airspace, describing it as a theatre for their military operations.
Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among carriers to suspend flights to Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, warning that the Houthis could strike targets deeper inside the kingdom and appeared to be focusing more heavily on aviation infrastructure.
It said missile and drone attacks, together with interception attempts, created an increased risk of civil aircraft being misidentified.
Two regional officials said Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport on Thursday damaged three aircraft. Saudi Arabia’s national carrier confirmed that one of its planes had been damaged while on the ground, with no passengers aboard.
Regional officials have said Saudi Arabia is running short of missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to provide air defence support. US assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive against the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and his Omani counterpart spoke by phone on Saturday about the importance of “supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions” in the region. Oman has at times acted as a mediator.
