Riyadh: US President Donald Trump has signalled that the United States may assist a Saudi response after a missile strike hit Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday — the third attack on the airport this week.
Two regional officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the airport had come under attack again, with one saying the facility was evacuated and the other saying air traffic had been halted.
What happened
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, GACA, confirmed the attack in a statement, saying operations were temporarily suspended and that "a number of injuries" were being assessed. A diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse that a missile struck a passenger terminal at around 3 pm local time, injuring dozens of people, most of them Saudi nationals, with at least five being treated in intensive care. Medical evacuation helicopters were seen moving between the airport and Riyadh's National Guard Hospital.
Reports attributed the strike to Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Saudi authorities had not given an official casualty toll.
Flights disrupted
Flight-tracking data showed planes bound for Riyadh diverted or cancelled. FlightAware recorded at least 225 cancellations at the airport over the preceding 24 hours, though not all were linked to the strike. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights, while FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines also suspended services. The US Embassy in Riyadh advised American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas.
Trump's response
"We may," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday when asked about assisting a Saudi military response. "We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."
The strike came as the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed 136 military targets in a large-scale operation against the Houthis. Earlier in the week, an attack on Thursday killed three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, and damaged three aircraft.
Sources:
Business Today: Riyadh airport hit again in fresh assault, multiple injured; flights diverted
www.businesstoday.in
Gulf News: Middle East War Live — Riyadh Airport Attack, Saudi coalition hits 136 Houthi targets
ET Now: Missile strikes Riyadh airport terminal, dozens injured as flights disrupted
www.etnownews.com
Two regional officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the airport had come under attack again, with one saying the facility was evacuated and the other saying air traffic had been halted.
What happened
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, GACA, confirmed the attack in a statement, saying operations were temporarily suspended and that "a number of injuries" were being assessed. A diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse that a missile struck a passenger terminal at around 3 pm local time, injuring dozens of people, most of them Saudi nationals, with at least five being treated in intensive care. Medical evacuation helicopters were seen moving between the airport and Riyadh's National Guard Hospital.
Reports attributed the strike to Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Saudi authorities had not given an official casualty toll.
Flights disrupted
Flight-tracking data showed planes bound for Riyadh diverted or cancelled. FlightAware recorded at least 225 cancellations at the airport over the preceding 24 hours, though not all were linked to the strike. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights, while FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines also suspended services. The US Embassy in Riyadh advised American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas.
Trump's response
"We may," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday when asked about assisting a Saudi military response. "We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."
The strike came as the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed 136 military targets in a large-scale operation against the Houthis. Earlier in the week, an attack on Thursday killed three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, and damaged three aircraft.
Sources:
Business Today: Riyadh airport hit again in fresh assault, multiple injured; flights diverted
West Asia tensions: Riyadh airport hit again in fresh assault, multiple injured; flights diverted - BusinessToday
The incident sparked immediate regional travel disruptions. Kuwait Airways announced it was canceling flights to and from the Saudi capital due to the closure of Riyadh airport caused by the local "security situation."
www.businesstoday.in
ET Now: Missile strikes Riyadh airport terminal, dozens injured as flights disrupted
Saudi attacked again: Missile strikes Riyadh airport terminal, dozens injured as flights disrupted
A reported Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport injured dozens, triggered an evacuation and disrupted flight operations.
www.etnownews.com
