Three Saudi nationals killed in attacks on Riyadh airport, aviation authority says

On Thursday, two attacks occurred at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, resulting in the deaths of three Saudi nationals and various injuries. The General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second aimed at a plane belonging to Saudi state carrier Saudia. Injuries varied in severity, and the attacks caused substantial material damage to the airport. The airport resumed operations and air traffic returned to normalcy following the attacks.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they had launched two cruise missiles at the airport. They also asserted that they had targeted an airport in the southwestern city of Najran with ballistic missiles and an airbase in Khamis Mushait. However, Saudi authorities have not confirmed these claims. The Houthis allege their actions are in response to Saudi support for government forces in Yemen's ongoing civil war.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia maintains it is supporting an offensive by Yemen's UN-recognized government to retake territory from the Houthis.

Earlier this week, Saudi authorities reported that three individuals were killed in separate strikes on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest of the country. The ongoing conflict, now an extension of the US-Iran war, has exacerbated unrest in an already unstable region. This situation threatens to draw additional states into the conflict, potentially escalating the already complex and volatile situation in the Middle East.