Cairo, October 9: Three Saudi citizens, including a captain with the country’s national airline, were killed and several people of different nationalities were injured in attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft, Saudi aviation authorities said on Friday.
The attacks took place on Thursday, marking the deadliest assault in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and its allied forces launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen last weekend.
According to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, the first attack targeted airport facilities, while a second struck a Saudia Airlines aircraft. The authorities did not identify those responsible, although the Houthis claimed they had targeted the airport with a ballistic missile.
The Saudia Group confirmed that Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami was among those killed. In a separate statement, the airline said one of its aircraft sustained damage while parked on the ground. The aircraft was not carrying any passengers at the time.
The incident appeared to be the first confirmed attack on Saudi Arabia’s national carrier since the latest military offensive began.
Saudi authorities said the injuries sustained by the victims ranged from minor to serious. The identities and nationalities of all those injured were not immediately disclosed.
King Khalid International Airport, located in the Saudi capital, has reportedly faced multiple attacks in recent days. Earlier this week, a Sudanese national was killed in an incident at the airport.
Despite Thursday’s attacks, the Saudia Group said airport operations had returned to normal by 6 pm local time, several hours after the incident.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis announced that it had destroyed three rocket-launch platforms allegedly used by the rebels to threaten regional security.
The latest attacks have heightened security concerns across the region as hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement intensify. The situation also raises concerns over the safety of civilian aviation infrastructure and airline operations.
Further details regarding the extent of the damage and the circumstances surrounding the attacks were not immediately available.
