Saudi airline pilot among three killed in attacks on Riyadh airport

Three Saudi citizens were killed in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. One of the victims was an airline captain named Hamoud Ali Alkalthami. The attacks targeted a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft and airport facilities, resulting in a number of people being wounded with varying degrees of severity.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes, alleging they were carried out with two cruise missiles. The rebels also claimed responsibility for targeting an airport in the southwestern city of Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles. However, Saudi authorities have not confirmed these claims.

This latest incident follows three other fatalities in earlier strikes on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest earlier in the week. The ongoing conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition has escalated tensions in the region, with both sides engaging in renewed fighting and retaliatory strikes.

Saudi Arabia vowed to punish the Houthis after the attacks on the airports, while the coalition reported destroying dozens of military targets in Yemen. Services at King Khalid International Airport have gradually resumed normal operations following days of disruptions caused by the attacks.