Nearly half of departures canceled in Riyadh after missile attacks — Dawn
In Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, 49.7% of departures from King Khalid International Airport were canceled amid Houthi missile attacks. According to aviation analytics company Cirium, as of 15:00 GMT, nearly half of flights had been canceled, while another 31 cancellations across all airports in the country were expected the following day.
As Dawn reports, Lufthansa and Air India announced the suspension of flights to Riyadh. FlightRadar24 also recorded numerous delays to arriving and departing flights. The airport administration did not confirm the scale of the disruptions, advising passengers to check information with airlines before traveling.
Missile launches and falling debris
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the group launched two ballistic missiles at Riyadh airport, one at an airport in Najran, and another at an air base in Khamis Mushait. He also called on workers at Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities to evacuate.
At the same time, the Saudi coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh and another one launched toward Khamis Mushait. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense authority reported that debris fell in Riyadh after interceptions, damaging a kindergarten and a medical clinics complex. The agency provided no information about casualties.
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In video verified by Reuters, thick black smoke and flames could be seen over the airport. A witness and three informed sources said that a stationary commercial aircraft caught fire, which was later extinguished. After loud explosions in the city, several international companies in the King Abdullah Financial District moved employees to remote work or evacuated them.
Different approaches among allies
Turkey and Pakistan interpret differently the limits of Saudi Arabia’s allies’ involvement under the Mecca joint defense agreement. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan ruled out sending Turkish troops to confront the Houthis, stressing that the agreement is defensive rather than offensive in nature.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that the agreement does not prohibit participants from directly joining the defense of a member state that has come under threat. At the same time, he said that only Saudi forces are taking part in combat operations. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information denied reports that Pakistani military aircraft were used against the Houthis.
