‘Unacceptable’: India condemns attack on Saudi airport, calls for immediate cessation

India strongly condemned the October 10 attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people and injured 309, expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia. New Delhi called attacks on civilians and infrastructure unacceptable and urged an immediate cessation of hostilities

New Delhi: India on Sunday condemned the attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, which has claimed 12 lives and left over 300 injured, 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. 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.

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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. 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.

Following the Saturday attack, the Houthi group said in a statement that it was ready for reciprocal measures with Saudi Arabia to keep airports, seaports and other facilities with humanitarian functions outside the escalating military confrontation. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported Saturday that Saudi Arabia launched a new wave of air and missile strikes across Houthi-held areas in Yemen, targeting Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held capital, areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait and several northern provinces.