CAIRO (AP) — The airport in the Saudi capital was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated, two regional officials said, two days after three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed as the kingdom faces an extraordinary series of assaults in the new front in the Iran war.
One official said air traffic to the Riyadh airport had stopped. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. Canada's embassy in a statement warned of “ongoing military activity.”
King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, including one Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national.
There was no immediate Houthi statement Saturday. The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Riyadh resident, Ahmed Sayed, told The Associated Press he heard at least two loud explosions that rocked the capital.
The airport issued a terse alert telling passengers to check their flight status with airlines before heading to the airport. At least 225 flights at the airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. Their new position gave the rebels better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that's a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.
Though the Houthis have told the AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist. The Houthis previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A U.S. bombing campaign ended that.
The Saudis have sought support from the U.S. and other allies as its airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure have come under attack. Officials said U.S. assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.
On Friday, as he left the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on the Riyadh airport and told reporters, “It’s not good” and “I’m not happy.” But there has been no immediate sign of U.S. military support to respond to the attacks.
The Saudi and Omani foreign ministers spoke by phone about the importance of “supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions” in the region, the kingdom said Saturday. Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has played a mediator role at times in the region.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that "filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.”
This week, the Houthis warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations.
Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines have been among the airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next few days due to the situation.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a “greater focus on aviation infrastructure.”
The missile and drone attacks and interception efforts “create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,” it said.
In Thursday’s attack, the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground, with no passengers on board.
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Associated Press writers Victoria Eastwood in Cairo, Cara Anna in Jerusalem and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.
