Three killed in attacks on Riyadh airport

The October 8 strikes hit King Khalid International Airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft. The Houthis claimed an attack, while Saudi authorities reported deaths and injuries.

Three Saudi citizens were killed in attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 8, the kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said. The attacks targeted airport facilities and an aircraft belonging to national carrier Saudia. Several Saudi citizens and foreign residents were injured with varying degrees of severity.

Associated Press reported that Saudia captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami was among those killed. The airline said an aircraft was damaged while parked and had no passengers on board. Authorities said airport operations and air traffic had returned to normal by Friday.

The Houthis said they had struck the airport with a ballistic missile. Saudi officials did not publicly assign responsibility to a specific party. The Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed three missile launchers used by the group.

Hundreds of flights from Saudi Arabia were canceled on Thursday, according to Cirium. Airlines temporarily adjusted schedules amid an escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis.