Houthis issue warning against use of Saudi airports
The Houthis this morning have just also issued a warning to travellers and airlines against using Saudi airports following yesterday’s attack.
It’s the first public message from the group since Saturday’s deadly assault.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Mecca and Medina – the holiest cities in Islam – were excepted but the other Saudi airports and airspace “are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces”.
He warned the public to “take our warning seriously” and also claimed that “Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions”.
The Gulf state has been asking the US and other Western allies for more missile interceptors since the fighting escalated.
Sahree ended his post by saying his group is pursuing: “airport for airport, siege for siege, and escalation for escalation” until they achieved their goals.
All week the Houthis have been striking the main airport in the Saudi capital as Saudi-led forces have stepped up an offensive trying to push the rebels back in Yemen.
This week the Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government forces launched an outright offensive on the Houthis who’ve rapidly seized and gained territory these past weeks.
The Houthis have taken over islands in the Bab al- Mandab strait and also staked positions along the Red Sea, crucially seizing control of the passageway through which its enemy – Saudi Arabia, a top oil exporter – had been diverting flows as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut off.
Key events
As you can expect, passengers have been avoiding Saudia Arabia’s main international airport since the major attack yesterday.
King Khalid remains closed today. It remains to be seen if operations will continue at other Saudi airports.
The Houthis earlier in the week had warned commercial airlines “for the last time” about the consequences of flying into Saudi airspace, noting it was a theatre of fighting.
Several airlines have previously suspended flights during the past month as the Iran War has expanded to this new front. Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines had all temporarily paused their routes into Riyadh and other Saudi cities.
Houthis issue warning against use of Saudi airports
The Houthis this morning have just also issued a warning to travellers and airlines against using Saudi airports following yesterday’s attack.
It’s the first public message from the group since Saturday’s deadly assault.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Mecca and Medina – the holiest cities in Islam – were excepted but the other Saudi airports and airspace “are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces”.
He warned the public to “take our warning seriously” and also claimed that “Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions”.
The Gulf state has been asking the US and other Western allies for more missile interceptors since the fighting escalated.
Sahree ended his post by saying his group is pursuing: “airport for airport, siege for siege, and escalation for escalation” until they achieved their goals.
All week the Houthis have been striking the main airport in the Saudi capital as Saudi-led forces have stepped up an offensive trying to push the rebels back in Yemen.
This week the Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government forces launched an outright offensive on the Houthis who’ve rapidly seized and gained territory these past weeks.
The Houthis have taken over islands in the Bab al- Mandab strait and also staked positions along the Red Sea, crucially seizing control of the passageway through which its enemy – Saudi Arabia, a top oil exporter – had been diverting flows as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut off.
12 killed at Riyadh airport and hundreds wounded in Saturday strike
Saturday’s attack was the third launched on the Saudi capital’s main airport this week- with the missile making it past Saudi air defences to strike terminals 3 and 4 of King Khalid airport where hundreds of passengers were awaiting domestic flights.
The attack killed at least 12 people and injured 309 at last count, say Saudi officials.
The dead include four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese.
A projectile also fell near the King Fahd international airport in Dammam, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis.
The Dammam airport has been an important alternative to Riyadh amid the recent spate of attacks.
Opening summary
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East.
After attacking Saudi Arabia’s main international airport on Saturday in strikes which killed at least 12 people and injured 309, the Houthis have issued another message this morning about the kingdom’s airports.
In response to the Houthi’s assault – the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in over a decade – US President Donald Trump has said Washington may join the Saudis in carrying out air strikes against the Iran-backed group in Yemen.
Trump said: “We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
