Saudi Arabia: 3 killed, 36 injured in Houthi missile attacks on two airports
At least three people were killed and 36 injured in drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels on two airports in Saudi Arabia. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia said this in a statement.
Separate attacks occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday at Abha International Airport in the southern region of Saudi Arabia and King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh.
Two women, one Moroccan and one Algerian, were killed in the attack on Abha International Airport. 28 others were injured.
Meanwhile, one Sudanese national was killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. A total of eight people were injured, including five Saudi citizens.
GACA said it is working in coordination with the relevant security authorities to ensure the safety of passengers and airport staff and to assess the extent of the damage.
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said a ballistic missile was intercepted north of Riyadh. The coalition forces also destroyed a launching pad in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital.
Meanwhile, new cage-like fencing has been installed around fuel tanks and other equipment of Saudi state oil company Aramco near Riyadh airport this week.
Earlier, on September 18, the Saudi-led coalition announced that a suspected Houthi ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh airport from Yemen had been intercepted and destroyed in mid-air. The following day, September 19, at least one explosion was heard near Riyadh airport. A plume of black smoke was also seen rising from a fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport.
Meanwhile, the conflict between the Saudi-backed forces of the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi forces is intensifying. Houthi forces control vast areas on both sides of the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis also launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on Aden airport early Wednesday. However, no casualties were reported in the attack.
The US Embassy in Riyadh has reissued a travel advisory for US citizens residing in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing security situation. The advisory urged US citizens to remain vigilant and aware.
(Dhaka Times/October 8/RJ)
