An airline pilot, along with two other Saudi nationals, lost their lives in attacks directed at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, as confirmed by the Saudi civil aviation authority on Friday. The first assault targeted airport infrastructure on Thursday, while the second hit a Saudi aircraft, according to a statement from Saudi authorities. Although the responsible party was not explicitly named, the Houthis asserted responsibility for targeting the airport with a ballistic missile.
The kingdom reported that several individuals of various nationalities sustained injuries in the attacks. The Saudia Group identified Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami among the deceased in a statement. This incident appeared to be the first verified attack on the Saudi national carrier since the recent offensive began. Another statement from the Saudia Group mentioned that one of their aircraft sustained damage on the ground with no passengers onboard.
The aviation statement also indicated that the injuries to citizens and individuals from other nationalities varied from minor to severe. Subsequently, the Saudia Group confirmed that operational activities at the airport had returned to normal.
On Thursday, hundreds of flights to and from Riyadh were canceled, as reported by flight-tracking site FlightAware. The Indian Embassy announced that Air India had suspended operations until Saturday, and the Lufthansa Group disclosed that its airlines would halt flights to Riyadh until October 16. Pakistan International Airlines also suspended flights to Riyadh due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, according to an airline spokesperson.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Embassy cautioned its citizens about potential airspace closures. The attacks on Thursday marked the deadliest incidents in Saudi Arabia since the recent major military operation against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched by the kingdom and its allied forces. These events represented a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, impacting oil prices and financial markets.
The Saudi-led coalition combating the Houthis reported destroying three rocket launch platforms utilized by the rebels to threaten regional security. The airport in the Saudi capital has faced multiple attacks in recent days. The Houthis warned global airlines about the consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military activities.
Saudi officials reported that attacks claimed by the Houthis on airports in Riyadh and Abha resulted in the deaths of three individuals on Wednesday. The kingdom has sought support from allies, including the United States, with U.S. assistance encompassing intelligence sharing, target identification, and planning for the recent offensive.
Despite this, President Donald Trump has displayed reluctance to increase U.S. military involvement in the Middle East and has not directed American forces to resume strikes against the rebels for now. The offensive aims to reclaim territory seized by the Houthis a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which poses a threat to a crucial alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz.
The prolonged conflict, acting as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has resulted in severe humanitarian crises in Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation. Houthi rebels captured Sanaa, the capital, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015 on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The war has led to over 150,000 casualties, including combatants and civilians, and created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. A ceasefire agreed upon in 2022 was mostly observed until this past summer.