Saudi Arabia extends suspension of operations at Riyadh airport following Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia announced Monday that it had extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following a series of attacks on the facility.

In a statement, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said the suspension was extended to complete necessary procedures to verify the safety of airport facilities and their operational readiness.

The authority did not specify when operations would resume.

The decision followed attacks on the airport over the weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, an unidentified projectile struck the airport’s Terminal 4, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11 others, according to Saudi authorities. The Saudi-led coalition also said it intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport.

A day earlier, on Saturday, a Houthi attack struck a passenger terminal at the airport, killing 13 people and injuring 309 others, according to Saudi authorities.

The Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of carrying out Saturday’s attack and described the strike as a “full-fledged war crime.”

​​​​​​​The attacks come amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis, with airports and other civilian and energy facilities targeted in recent days.

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