Yemen’s Houthis have continued their strikes on Riyadh’s international airport after a missile attack on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
A projectile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, causing a fire. Saudi aviation authorities said a Pakistani national was killed and 11 people were injured in the latest attack.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, which have escalated following renewed fighting in the war in Yemen and raised the prospect of greater US military involvement.
The death toll from Saturday’s attack rose to 13 on Sunday after an Indian national died of his injuries, according to India’s embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi aviation authorities had initially reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries, some critical. Those killed included four Saudi citizens and eight foreign nationals, including a US citizen.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for Saturday’s attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, and vowed a decisive response.
The Houthis renewed their warning on Sunday to airlines, airport workers and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the facilities remained vulnerable to attack.
Trump weighs US involvement
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington might join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
Asked whether the US would take part, Trump told reporters, “We may. We’re going to look at it.” He did not announce a decision to join the strikes.
He later said Saudi Arabia could defend itself against the Houthis and described the airport attack as “terrible”.
In a separate incident, the coalition said a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Saturday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Saturday’s Riyadh attack a “dangerous escalation” and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
“These attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” she said, warning of the threat to international transport and energy infrastructure.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack.
“Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law. These attacks must cease immediately,” he said in a statement issued on Saturday.
Qatar condemned the strike as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to civilians and aviation safety.
UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned on Sunday that the attacks threatened regional security and further complicated efforts to secure peace in Yemen.
Airlines extend Riyadh flight cancellations
Riyadh airport remained closed on Monday, with no confirmed time for passenger flights to resume.
A senior aviation source told AFP on Sunday that operators had been informed at dawn that flights would remain suspended. A second aviation source said radar and communications equipment had been damaged and the runways needed to be assessed.
Etihad Airways and Emirates cancelled further Riyadh flights on Monday and Tuesday, The National reported. Flydubai extended its cancellations to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha through Wednesday.
The airport urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling there.
Lufthansa Group had already suspended flights to Riyadh through Friday following attacks earlier in the week.
SriLankan Airlines suspended its Riyadh flights until 18 October, citing the security incident and ongoing safety assessments.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its warning on Friday to cover more Saudi airspace, citing risks to civilian aircraft from missile and drone attacks, air defence activity and falling debris.
The disruption also affected schools in the Saudi capital. An email sent to parents on Sunday, seen by AFP, said schools would switch to remote learning for the week under instructions from the education ministry.
This was the second time in less than a month that Riyadh schools had been told to move lessons online.
