A projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, killing one Pakistani resident and injuring 11. The strike follows a deadly Houthi missile attack the previous day that killed 13 people.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) reported that a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11 others. The deceased was identified as a Pakistani resident, while the injured were transferred to several hospitals for medical care.
The attack occurred at approximately 8:30pm (17:30 GMT) on Sunday, according to a witness on board a taxiing aircraft who spoke to Reuters. The projectile struck the tarmac next to several parked planes, causing a fire. The witness stated that the aircraft returned to the gate, where passengers disembarked and were instructed to leave.
Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said air defenses had intercepted a missile near the airport while authorities dealt with the fire caused by an "unknown projectile" that hit Passenger Hall No 4. GACA noted that damage assessments and safety inspections of the airport were under way.
This incident marks the fourth strike on the Riyadh airport in the past five days. It occurred one day after a Houthi missile hit the same airport on Saturday, killing 13 people and injuring more than 300. The Saturday attack was the deadliest single attack on a Gulf Arab country since the war between Israel, the US, and Iran began in February.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the strikes. Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said the group had targeted the airport with a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones. He also stated that the Houthis attacked oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump said the United States "may" join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. "We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision," Trump told reporters. "We move very quickly." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that a US citizen was killed in the Saturday attack and condemned the strikes.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with his Saudi counterpart, stating that Tehran is ready to provide assistance to "facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen." The UK Foreign Office advised against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, including areas within 10km (6.2 miles) of the border with Yemen.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice urging US airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia due to increased safety threats linked to military activities and potential navigational system interference. The notice remains in effect until December 10.
The escalating attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities threaten global oil supplies and commercial shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial alternative waterway to the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict, which intensified after a UN-brokered truce collapsed in July, risks drawing in the US military and further destabilizing the region.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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