Houthi strikes hit Riyadh's main airport, damaging a passenger jet and killing three

Coalition destroys three rocket launchers in response

Lufthansa and Air India suspend flights to Riyadh

Renewed conflict displaces 200,000 people

Flames and smoke rise from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. Reuters verified the image, which circulated on social media, against satellite imagery and other sources. [Reuters-Yonhap. Redistribution and database storage prohibited]
Flames and smoke rise from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. Reuters verified the image, which circulated on social media, against satellite imagery and other sources. [Reuters-Yonhap. Redistribution and database storage prohibited]

A series of strikes on an international airport killed three civilians, damaged a passenger jet and forced the cancellation of nearly half of all scheduled flights.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said Friday that King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh had been attacked, killing three Saudi nationals and wounding a number of others.

According to the authority, the first strike targeted airport facilities while the second hit a Saudia passenger aircraft. Three Saudi nationals were killed and a number of both Saudi and foreign nationals were wounded. Saudia confirmed that one of the dead was its captain, Hamoud Ali Al-Khaltami. King Khalid and Abha international airports were also attacked Tuesday and Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 36.

The Saudi-led coalition conducting military operations against the Houthis in Yemen said it had destroyed Houthi rocket launchers. The Coalition Joint Forces Command said in a spokesperson statement that it had "destroyed three rocket launchers that Houthi militias have used to threaten regional security," adding that it would "respond decisively to Houthi attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure."

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalated missile strikes this week in an apparent bid to shut down Saudi airspace and oil facilities. Sources at the scene said a Saudia aircraft parked at a terminal caught fire and sustained severe damage, either from interceptor debris or a direct projectile impact. Lufthansa and Air India suspended flights to Riyadh following the strike on the aircraft.

As the Houthis intensified their targeting of Saudi airports, the coalition intercepted and destroyed three missiles aimed at Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, home to a major air force base. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said nearly half of all departures from Riyadh airport had been canceled as of 3 p.m. GMT. Multinational companies in the financial district also instructed employees to work from home after explosions were heard in the area.


terry@heraldcorp.com