Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others early on Sunday, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities. A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen for the strike, which hit a complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights.
The attack was the deadliest in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war, as fighting has widened to include a recent surge in clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The latest strike is also expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies, including the United States, to provide military support.
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A regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said a missile struck the airport complex. The Saudi statement said those killed included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It added that the injured were being treated at several hospitals, with some in critical condition.
Shortly after the attack on Saturday afternoon, US President Donald Trump said he was considering whether the United States should join Saudi strikes against the rebels. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” he said. “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a “fully-fledged war crime” and promised a firm response, saying the airport had no military facilities. There was no immediate statement from the Houthis, who earlier on Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital, which is held by the group.
The Houthis had earlier claimed attacks this week on King Khalid International Airport that killed three Saudis, including a pilot. The rise in attacks, including on other Saudi airports, military sites and oil infrastructure, has come a week after the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the rebels.
Saudi civil aviation authorities said earlier on Saturday that airport operations had been suspended. The airport saw a heavy police presence, all entrances were blocked and lights around the complex were dimmed. Flights were diverted elsewhere, according to flight tracker Flightradar24. The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned their citizens to avoid the airport.
The attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, have unsettled markets and the region. Even so, the Saudi energy ministry, hours after the latest strike, continued to promote a major international energy conference due to begin in Riyadh on Sunday. Until recently, the Houthis had largely been on the sidelines of the Iran war, but the fighting has now put pressure on a key US ally.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have been fighting since 2015, when the kingdom entered Yemen’s civil war in support of the internationally recognised government. A period of relative calm after a 2022 ceasefire ended in July, when the Houthis resumed attacks, saying the Saudis had fired on Sanaa airport as a plane from Iran was trying to land. That revived anger over the Saudi-led blockade that has largely isolated Houthi-run areas.
Fighting has since intensified, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support to Yemeni government forces trying to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. According to the report, those gains gave the rebels better surveillance of shipping on a corridor seen as a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.
Regional officials told AP last month that Saudi Arabia was running low on missile interceptors and had asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defence support to the region. One official said the United States had also seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran. Officials have said US assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive against the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia also said on Saturday that its foreign minister and his Omani counterpart had spoken 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.
The Houthis this week 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. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among carriers suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods, while the European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace.
The latest strike on Riyadh airport has deepened concerns over the widening conflict, disrupted air travel and raised pressure on Saudi Arabia and its allies as attacks by the Houthis continue to intensify.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
