Riyadh Airport Hit Again After Deadly Houthi Missile Attack
A projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, a day after a Houthi missile attack killed 13 people, as Saudi air defences intercepted a cruise missile nearby and the UK issued a travel warning.
A projectile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, the day after a deadly missile attack on the same facility carried out by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebel group killed 13 people, Saudi authorities said.
The unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4, starting a fire and causing injuries, according to Saudi officials. Air defences also intercepted a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport. It was the latest in a series of attacks on the airport over the past week, with the Houthis carrying out a third strike on the capital's airport in that period.
The Houthi movement has warned airlines and passengers not to use Riyadh airport, according to reports, as the escalating attacks threaten to draw more countries into the Yemen conflict. The United Kingdom has issued a travel warning in response to the strikes.
The attack on Sunday followed a deadly missile strike on Saturday that killed 13 people at the airport. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for the attacks. Saudi air defences have been active in intercepting incoming projectiles, including the cruise missile intercepted near the airport on Sunday.
The repeated strikes on King Khalid International Airport, one of the kingdom's main aviation hubs, represent a significant escalation in the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels. The airport serves as a major gateway for international travel to and from Saudi Arabia, and the attacks have raised concerns about the safety of civilian aviation in the region.
The UK travel warning is likely to affect airlines and passengers planning to travel to Riyadh, as the Houthis have explicitly warned against using the airport. The situation remains tense, with Saudi authorities yet to identify the projectile that hit Terminal 4 on Sunday.
The attacks come amid a broader regional crisis, with the Yemen conflict having already drawn in multiple countries. The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi infrastructure, but the repeated strikes on a major international airport in the capital mark a new phase in the conflict. The international community has yet to respond formally to the latest escalation.
Saudi authorities have confirmed the fire and injuries at Terminal 4 but have not released further details on the extent of the damage or the number of casualties. The interception of the cruise missile near the airport suggests that air defences are operating at a high state of alert.
The Houthi warning to airlines and passengers is a direct challenge to Saudi Arabia's control over its airspace and could have significant implications for international travel to the kingdom. The UK's travel warning is the first from a major Western government since the attacks began.
The situation is developing, and further attacks cannot be ruled out. The Saudi-led coalition has yet to announce any retaliatory measures, but the escalating violence threatens to draw more countries into the Yemen conflict, which has already caused a humanitarian crisis in the region.
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