King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was targeted on Sunday for the second time in two days by an "unknown missile." This attack occurred while the airport was closed due to the attack on Saturday, which left 12 dead and over 300 injured.
Details of the Attack and Casualties
The General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia announced in a statement that King Khalid Airport was attacked again on Sunday afternoon, resulting in injuries to several individuals. Damage assessment and safety inspections of the facilities are still ongoing. Additionally, a spokesman for the Saudi coalition, Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, stated that a cruise missile was intercepted by air defense systems near the airport.
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The Ansar Allah group (Houthis) later claimed responsibility for these attacks, stating that they had conducted four qualitative operations in the past 24 hours using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. This group has also targeted airports in Riyadh and Dammam, as well as two facilities belonging to the state oil company Aramco.
Reactions and Consequences
The attacks on Sunday occurred while Riyadh Airport remained closed due to the Saturday attack. In this incident, an Indian citizen who was injured in the Saturday attack lost his life. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed this news and expressed condolences to the deceased's family.
The Houthis also warned airlines and travelers to refrain from using Saudi airports and airspace. In a statement released by the group, it said: "We warn all airlines, experts, employees, workers, and travelers that Saudi airports are under threat of attack and have become the scene of our forces' operations."
Saudi Arabia has recently been heavily involved in Yemen, increasing airstrikes against the Houthis and supporting a counter-offensive by the Yemeni government. Meanwhile, the Houthis have claimed that 91 Yemenis have been killed by the Saudi coalition in the past five weeks, 60% of whom were women and children.
These attacks come as tensions in Yemen have sharply escalated, reigniting conflicts in a country that has been embroiled in war for over a decade. The President of the United States has stated that he will speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in response to these attacks, deeming them "unacceptable."
European leaders have also expressed concern over these attacks, supporting Saudi Arabia and condemning these actions. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the attacks by these groups towards Saudi Arabia are pushing the region towards a cycle of violence.
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