Blast reported at Riyadh airport as Houthi attacks escalate

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 16:31 · Archive

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was evacuated after a blast was reported on Saturday.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was evacuated on Saturday following reports of a blast. A witness told news agencies they heard an explosion while waiting to board a flight. Reuters reported that more than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to the airport. Saudi authorities have not commented on the incident, and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The attack comes one day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for two attacks on the airport that killed three people, including a pilot. Another three people were killed in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports on 6 and 7 October. The Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of Yemen's north-west, say they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war.

The escalation follows the Houthis' recent seizure of strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key chokepoint for global shipping. Yemeni pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition say they have since 'secured' the strait. The fighting marks a significant escalation after a peace deal unraveled in July. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have cancelled multiple flights to and from Riyadh.

How it is being reported

• Dozens reported injured in Yemeni Houthi attack at Riyadh airportSaudi authorities yet to confirm strike as government-allied forces in Yemen claim successful offensive to retake Bab al-Mandab strait Yemen’s Houthis have launched a missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport in Saudi Arabia, with dozens reported wounded and a witness describing panic in the terminal. Saudi authorities did not confirm any new attack or evacuation, but one witness reported hearing an explosion while waiting to board a flight, and another said they saw a strike that left people wounded. Continue reading...Guardian World · 10 Oct, 16:54
• Evacuations and injuries reported at Riyadh airport after another alleged Houthi attackThe latest attack follows just two days after three Saudi citizens were killed in Houthi-claimed attack on Riyadh's international airport on Thursday.Euronews · 10 Oct, 16:48
• Saudi capital airport hit again, sparking evacuations, reports sayThe suspected attack comes a day after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed two deadly attacks on the Riyadh airport.BBC World · 10 Oct, 16:05
• Blast reported at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh airportRiyadh's King Khalid International Airport has already been targeted multiple times this week amid intensified fighting between a Yemen-based Houthi rebels and a Saudi-backed coalition.DW News · 10 Oct, 16:01

In this story: King Khalid International Airport · Riyadh · Saudi Arabia · Houthis · Yemen · Red Sea · Bab al-Mandab Strait

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem