Riyadh Airport Evacuated After Fresh Attack; Air Traffic Halted

RIYADH, Oct 10: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was evacuated following a fresh attack on Saturday, with air traffic reportedly halted, as Saudi Arabia faced another wave of assaults amid the widening Iran war, two regional officials told The Associated Press.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, did not provide further details about the attack. The latest incident came two days after three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed at the airport. The facility has been targeted several times over the past week following a major military offensive by a Saudi-led coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for earlier attacks, including one on Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national, but there was no immediate statement from the group regarding Saturday’s reported attack. The airport issued an alert urging passengers to check their flight status directly with airlines before travelling to the facility.

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified in Yemen between the Houthis and forces aligned with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Saudi-led coalition has provided air support to government forces seeking to reverse recent Houthi advances along the Red Sea, a strategically important shipping corridor that offers an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.