CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed on Friday that three Saudi citizens lost their lives and several others sustained injuries during coordinated attacks on Thursday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft.
This strike represents the deadliest attack on Saudi soil since the kingdom and allied forces in neighboring Yemen launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels last weekend.
The first of the coordinated attacks targeted airport facilities, while the second directly struck the aircraft, authorities reported. The official statement did not explicitly name the perpetrators, though the Houthis claimed responsibility for the airport assault, stating it was carried out using a ballistic missile.
King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in recent months, with a Sudanese national losing his life there earlier this week.
The official statement highlighted “injuries to a number of citizens and residents of different nationalities, with wounds ranging from minor to severe.”
The authority also confirmed that operational activities at the airport have since returned to normal.
