Saudi authority says three killed in attacks on Riyadh airport; Houthis claim targeting it

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said three Saudi citizens were killed in two attacks on Thursday, 8 October, on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. According to the authority, the first attack targeted airport facilities. The second struck an aircraft of the state carrier Saudia.

BBC News quoted the authority as reporting "injuries to a number of Saudi citizens and residents of various nationalities". The Guardian quoted it as saying the injuries "ranged from minor to serious". The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the number of injured.

A Saudia pilot was among the dead, according to the airline and Saudi authorities. The Guardian and The Hindu report that the Saudia Group named him as Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami. According to the same outlets, a separate Saudia Group statement said one aircraft was damaged on the ground with no passengers on board. The reports do not identify the other two people killed.

Yemen's Houthis claimed to have targeted the airport. The Saudi statement did not identify who was responsible, according to The Guardian and The Hindu.

Airport operations returned to normal. BBC News attributes this to the civil aviation authority. The Guardian and The Hindu attribute it to the Saudia Group.

Flights and airspace

Hundreds of flights were cancelled on Thursday, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. Air India suspended operations through 10 October, the Indian Embassy said. The Lufthansa Group said its airlines would suspend Riyadh flights through 16 October. On Friday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace. It cited an "increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft".

Context

Saudi officials said on 7 October that Houthi attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha had killed three people. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed three Houthi rocket launch platforms. A Saudi-led coalition has fought the Houthis since 2015. A ceasefire was reached in 2022.

What is disputed

• BBC News reports that the Houthis said they used two ballistic missiles. The Guardian and The Hindu report a claim of one ballistic missile.
• BBC News and DW report that a Houthi coastal advance gave them greater control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait area. Yemeni pro-government forces said they had "secured" the strait. The Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohamed al-Jabir, said in a post on X that it had been "cleansed" of Houthi remnants.

What each side says

The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war. According to BBC News, a Houthi military spokesman called earlier airport attacks a "response to the Saudi aggression against our country". Saudi Arabia says it is backing an offensive by Yemen's UN-recognised government, according to The Guardian. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said Houthi attacks on civilians would meet a "firm response", according to DW. Kuwait and Pakistan condemned the attack, according to The Hindu.

Analysis

The attacks shift attention to civil aviation as a point of exposure in the conflict. EASA's expanded guidance and airline suspensions suggest that the costs may extend beyond the battlefield to travel and trade linked to Riyadh. Several paths appear possible. Further strikes could lead to more suspensions. Diplomatic efforts, including at the UN Security Council, could seek to reduce the fighting. Key facts remain unclear, including how many people were injured and what weapons were used. Responsibility currently rests on the Houthis' own claim. Independent verification of these points would help readers assess the competing accounts from all parties.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.