Riyadh: The Indian Embassy in Riyadh on Wednesday, October 8, advised Indians residing in the Kingdom to remain alert, stay indoors, and follow the instructions given by the authorities.
The residents have also been strongly advised to avoid publishing or posting visuals about the ongoing attacks on social media. It said that the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah will continue to function and send alerts accordingly.
Kindergarten, clinic damaged
A medical clinic and a children’s nursery in the capital were reportedly damaged after authorities intercepted a ballistic missile, the Civil Defence said.
Several explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday, including a large blast at the city’s international airport, which was claimed by the Houthis hours after the attack.
Spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, along with a ballistic missile fired toward Khamis Mushait, in the southwest near the Yemen border.
The blasts had an immediate effect on markets and oil prices as the price of crude jumped, and Saudi Arabia slid further into the latest front in the Iran war.
Air India flight turns mid-way
An Air India flight bound for Riyadh turned back to Delhi mid-journey following reported Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital’s airport.
In response to the safety concerns, Air India and Air India Express have suspended all flights to and from Riyadh through October 10, 2026, according to airline officials.
Passengers asked to contact airlines before reaching airport
The Riyadh airport instructed passengers to first contact airlines directly before starting for the airport on Thursday, following the attack as explosions were heard across the city.
“We would like to inform passengers of the necessity to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before proceeding to the airport,” the statement on X read.
Houthis warn people to stay away from oil facilities
The Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks against Saudi airports, military and oil facilities in recent days. Early Thursday, the rebels warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which it called a theatre for its military operations.
In their new statement, the Houthis also warned people in Saudi Arabia to stay away from oil facilities that “represent targets for our forces” as the rebels press a blockade they recently imposed against the world’s top oil exporter.
Airport closed again
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh “closed again,” the Flightradar24 monitor said Thursday on X. “Last landing 80+ minutes ago. Last takeoff 90+ minutes ago.”
Fire and ambulance crews were deployed and smoke was visible, the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
A witness told AP outgoing flights were halted and passengers were instructed to leave all checked-in luggage behind and evacuate the airport. It was not immediately clear how many flights were disrupted.
Flights face delays, cancellations
Flights at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh faced suspension for over an hour, with it being reported closed the next day.
Flightradar24 said 58 departures, accounting for 15 per cent of the day’s scheduled services, were delayed at Riyadh airport on Thursday. Further, 11 flights, or 3 per cent, were listed as cancelled.
Departing flights faced average delays of 45 minutes, pushing the airport’s disruption index to 4.2 out of five, a rating categorised as major disruption.
Affected flights
Among the affected flights on Thursday morning were Saudia’s SV311 plane from Riyadh to Cairo, delayed by more than two hours, as well as Yemenia’s IY533 service to Aden, delayed for over three hours.
A Saudia flight SV562 to Dubai and Turkish Airlines flight TK145 to Istanbul were both cancelled.
According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, the disruptions follow drone and missile attacks on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport, which left three people dead and 36 injured.
Wednesday’s deaths were the first since major military offensive
On Wednesday, Saudi officials said attacks on the Riyadh and Abha airports claimed by the Houthis had killed three people — the first deaths since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air offensive against the rebels.
The offensive is aimed at retaking territory that the Houthis seized a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The rebels’ presence on the Bab el-Mandeb poses a threat to the crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has been curtailed due to Iran’s attacks on ships.
The deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia brought condemnation from countries including Britain, India, the United Arab Emirates and others amid fears of an escalation.
Also Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said forces destroyed a platform in Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa that had been used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital. The AP could not independently verify these claims.
(With inputs from AP)
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