Houthi missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12, wounds over 300

At least 12 people were killed and 309 wounded when a Houthi missile struck Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday, the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. Pakistan condemned it as “a heinous act of terrorism” and reaffirmed its commitment to the kingdom’s defence.

The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, the Saudi civil aviation authority said, according to The Express Tribune, citing Reuters. Hospitals were flooded with wounded brought by ambulance and helicopter, some in critical condition. The attack came without warning.

It was the third attack on King Khalid International Airport this week. Two earlier strikes killed four people and badly damaged a Saudi commercial plane.

Airport shut

All flights were diverted from Riyadh and operations at the airport, which serves a city of 8 million, were suspended. An injured traveller said they saw something fly across the sky before part of the ceiling near a departure gate collapsed. The US embassy urged Americans to avoid the airport.

The head of the Houthi media office claimed the group had “shut down Riyadh international airport”, and the Houthis declared Saudi airspace a military operations zone, except over Makkah and Madinah.

Pakistan: ‘firm and unshakeable’

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said targeting a civilian airport was “a heinous act of terrorism, a flagrant violation of international law and a grave threat to regional peace and security”, Dawn reported.

• It called the continued targeting of civilians and infrastructure “utterly unacceptable” and said such attacks “must cease immediately”
• It reaffirmed Pakistan’s “firm and unshakeable commitment” to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the October 5 decision on rapid deployment of forces
• It backed Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence and urged the international community to take “a firm and unequivocal stand”

“Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack “completely unacceptable” and later told his cabinet that aggression against Saudi Arabia was a “red line” for Pakistan.

Trump: US ‘may’ join strikes

Asked whether the US would join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, President Donald Trump said: “We may. We’re going to look at it.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the attacks “demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life”, noting an American was among the dead. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the strike.

The Saudi-led coalition called it a “full-fledged war crime”.

A war reignited

The Houthis’ truce with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government unravelled this summer, and the group seized the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Government forces launched an offensive this week to retake territory but have made only slow gains, while the Houthis have besieged Taiz. Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government say they have struck hundreds of Houthi targets; the Houthis say those strikes have killed civilians, including women and children.

Why it matters

The strike shows the Houthis can now hit the Saudi capital with deadly effect, raising pressure on the kingdom’s allies. Under the Makkah pact, Pakistan has repeatedly pledged to stand with Saudi Arabia, while stressing the alliance is defensive.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune, Dawn and Reuters.