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Three Saudi citizens, including a captain with the national carrier Saudia, were killed and several people of different nationalities were wounded on Thursday in attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia aircraft, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said on Friday.
The attacks are the deadliest in the kingdom since Saudi Arabia and its allied forces in neighbouring Yemen launched a major military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels last weekend.
According to the aviation authority, the first strike targeted airport facilities, while the second hit a plane. The statement did not name those responsible. However, the Houthis claimed they had targeted the airport with a ballistic missile.
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Saudia Group confirmed that Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami was among the dead. This appears to be the first confirmed attack on the national carrier since the new offensive began. The airline said one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground, with no passengers on board at the time. Authorities said the injuries ranged from minor to serious.
Saudia Group said operations at the airport returned to normal by 6 p.m. on Thursday, hours after the attack.
The Riyadh airport has come under repeated fire in recent days. Earlier this week, a Sudanese national was killed there, underscoring the growing risk to civilian infrastructure and air travel in the region.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had destroyed three rocket launch platforms used by the rebels, which it said threatened regional security.
The escalation raises fresh concerns about the safety of civilian aviation in the Gulf and the wider stability of the region, as the conflict in Yemen continues to spill across the border.
