Houthis urge people not to use Saudi airports — Cyprus Mail
Yemen's Houthis have urged airlines, travelers and airport staff not to use Saudi Arabia's airports and airspace. The warning came after an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured more than 300, Cyprus Mail reports.
Houthi warning
In a post on X, the Houthis said that the kingdom's airports and airspace are vulnerable to attacks and have become an operational zone for their forces. The group named airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina as exceptions. The Houthis also said that Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for any failed interceptions.
Saturday's attack was the third on Riyadh airport in a week. According to Saudi authorities, the dead included four Saudi Arabian citizens, two Bangladeshi citizens, as well as citizens of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The two previous attacks that same week killed four people and significantly damaged a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the apron.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Airport operations and security situation
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the temporary suspension of operations at King Khalid Airport while damage and the security situation are assessed. No timeframe for the resumption of flights was given. The Saudi coalition also said that a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Saturday, while a drone was intercepted in the region on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said that the planned WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh is to take place. The event will last five days at a conference center about 10 kilometers from the airport. Saudi authorities also moved students, teachers and administrative staff to distance learning from Sunday through Thursday.
Saudi Arabia has intensified its military involvement in Yemen in recent weeks, striking the Houthis and supporting a counteroffensive by Yemen's government forces. This comes amid an escalation in fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
