The halt will continue until further notice, news agency AFP reported, citing sources. Flight operations at Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia reportedly remained suspended on Sunday after a deadly Houthi strike killed 12 and left over 300 injured on Saturday.
On Saturday, the Houthis once again targeted the airport, marking a major escalation in the conflict after 12 people were killed. The Houthi-run Health Ministry has said that 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in five weeks. It said that 60% of those killed were women and children.
The Houthis reportedly said that two airstrikes targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and blamed Saudi Arabia, the Associated Press reported. They informed us of this at dawn,” a senior official was quoted as saying by AFP. The latest Houthi attack at Riyadh airport was the second one within a span of two days. Among those killed was a pilot with the national airline, identified as Hamoud Ali Alkalthami. “We may. We’re going to look at it. If the US intervenes, the Houthis could halt shipping through a crucial waterway and further restrict the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf, causing a major energy crisis coupled with Hormuz stalemate. Gen. Yahya Saree urging “everyone to take our warnings seriously. they threatened new attacks on the kingdom’s airports, except for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, warning passengers not to travel While the Houthis have not directly claimed the responsibility of the airport strike. The latest attack on the Riyadh airport drew condemnations from Arab countries, including Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed concern over the escalation.
The report, citing sources, said that radar and communications equipment have been damaged, while the runways also needed to be assessed, following Saturday’s Houthi offensive at Riyadh airport. Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 noted the suspension, saying “the closure of Riyadh Airport has been extended by another 24 hours, until 21:00 UTC today”, in a statement posted on X. Several others of “different nationalities” were injured in the attacks, the kingdom’s civil aviation authority said. US President Donald Trump said he was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision,” he told reporters at the White House. Saudi airports are on the target list of Houthi attacks, the group has reportedly said, with its military spokesman Brig. “The airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces,” Saree wrote on X. “Attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” Von der Leyen wrote Sunday on X. “They are destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes.”
“Riyadh airport has suspended operations again today. On Thursday, three people were killed after the Houthis targeted King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia Airlines aircraft in Riyadh.
