OMM Redaksiyası
An explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed 12 people and injured 309, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said.
The authority said the airport had been targeted amid ongoing attacks on civilian aviation facilities in the country. It will remain closed until further notice.
AnewZ’s Riyadh-based special correspondent Sabir Safarov shared footage from the scene. The footage was also broadcast by several international media outlets, including the BBC and Al Jazeera, according to the report.
The incident comes as regional security tensions have escalated following recent attacks claimed by the Houthis. Airports and civilian aviation facilities are also being affected by the wider conflict.
Two attacks on the airport’s infrastructure and an aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabia’s national airline were reported on October 8. Saudi aviation authorities said three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed in those attacks.
The attacks have caused major disruption to air travel: about 300 flights scheduled for Thursday were cancelled or did not operate. As security concerns mount, several international airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its warnings on the use of Saudi Arabian airspace. The move reflects growing concern about the regional conflict’s potential impact on commercial aviation.
Diplomatic missions of Germany, the United States, Canada and Spain in Riyadh have also advised their citizens to stay away from the airport.
Asked by journalists at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would decide soon whether to strike the Houthis alongside Saudi Arabia. “We could do that. We’ll consider it. We just heard about the latest attack; we’ll make a decision. We’re moving very quickly,” Trump said.
Information about the incident is being updated.
