Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Riyadh’s airport was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated after a missile struck a passenger terminal, with many people wounded, two regional officials said. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said ambulances were seen rushing towards the airport.
The attack came two days after three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed, as the kingdom faces a series of assaults amid a wider regional conflict. King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in the past week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. The Houthis had claimed responsibility for earlier attacks, including one on Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national, but there was no immediate Houthi statement on Saturday.
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Flights to Riyadh were diverted elsewhere, according to Flightradar24, which said the last flight had landed at 2.05 pm, nearly four hours earlier. Kuwait Airways said it was cancelling flights because the airport had closed. Canada’s embassy advised citizens to avoid all travel to the airport, citing “ongoing military activity”. The Saudi government-run Centre for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Riyadh resident, Ahmed Sayed, told The Associated Press he heard at least two loud explosions that rocked the capital. The airport issued an alert asking passengers to check their flight status with airlines before heading there. FlightAware said at least 225 flights at the airport had been cancelled over the past 24 hours.
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support to government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. The rebels’ advances have given them better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that is a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships. The Houthis have told AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, but concerns over wider attacks persist. The Houthis had earlier attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A US bombing campaign ended that.
Saudi Arabia has sought support from the US and other allies as its airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure have come under attack. Officials said US assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive. On Friday, as he left the White House, US President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on Riyadh airport and said, “It’s not good” and “I’m not happy.” There was no immediate sign of US military support in response to the attacks. Saudi Arabia also said its foreign minister and his Omani counterpart spoke by phone about the importance of “supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions” in the region. Oman, across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has at times played a mediating role in the region. Saudi authorities also warned the public this week that “filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.”
Flight disruptions have continued to grow. This week, the Houthis warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theatre for their military operations. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among the carriers that suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next few days. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a “greater focus on aviation infrastructure”. It said missile and drone attacks, along with interception efforts, “create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft”. In Thursday’s attack, the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while on the ground, with no passengers on board.
Saturday’s strike shut Riyadh’s airport again, left passengers facing widespread disruption and added to a week of repeated attacks on Saudi aviation infrastructure, even as regional powers discussed ways to lower tensions.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
