Riyadh: A Pakistani resident was killed and 11 others injured in a fresh attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, October 11, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said on Monday, October 12.
In a follow-up statement, GACA said the injured were transferred to several hospitals for medical treatment. The attack also caused property damage, the extent of which was being assessed.
The Saudi-led coalition said an unidentified projectile struck Passenger Hall No. 4 at the airport on Sunday, triggering a fire. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki also said air defences intercepted and destroyed a loitering cruise missile near the airport.
The incident came a day after a Houthi missile attack on the airport on Saturday, October 10, killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
An Indian national from Hyderabad and a Bangladeshi national later succumbed to injuries sustained in Saturday’s attack, taking the death toll from that incident to 14. India’s embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed the death of the Hyderabadi man on Sunday.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes preceding Sunday’s attack.
Riyadh airport closure extended
GACA announced on Monday, October 12, that the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport had been extended to allow authorities to complete safety checks and ensure the operational readiness of its facilities.
The authority said the procedures were being carried out in coordination with the relevant authorities. It did not announce a date for the resumption of airport operations.
Riyadh airport has been struck four times in five days. Attacks on Thursday, October 8, killed at least three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, according to GACA.
The airport has remained closed since Saturday’s attack, described as the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February.
