Saudi-led coalition vows firm response to Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

Saudi-led coalition vowed a firm response to a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people and injured 309. India condemned the strikes, expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities 

Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen vowed on Sunday to respond firmly to a Houthi attack targeting a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday, which resulted in deaths and injuries.

Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malki said in a statement on his official account on X that the attack carried out by the Houthi group on Saturday constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law and its customary rules. Al-Malki described the attack as a heinous act that violates humanitarian principles, values and morals.

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He stressed that the coalition’s Joint Forces Command would respond firmly to what he described as a “terrorist attack” in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said that the attack targeting King Khalid International Airport on Saturday afternoon has killed 12 people and injured 309 others, as Yemen’s Houthi group and Saudi Arabia continued exchanging strikes on major airports.

According to the Saudi aviation authority, the fatalities included four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents — two Bangladeshis and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. The injured are receiving treatment at several hospitals, with some in serious condition, the authority said.

The authority said in an earlier statement that operations at the airport had been temporarily suspended pending damage assessments and safety checks. India, too, has condemned the attack targeting King Khalid International Airport, while expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia in defence of its sovereignty.

New Delhi said that the attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure were “unacceptable” and called for immediate cessation of hostilities. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and damage to property. We express our condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured persons.” “The repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately,” the statement read.

“We stand in solidarity with the people and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty, and hope that peace and normalcy returns to the region at the earliest,” it added.