Saudi minister: Riyadh ‘capital of energy security’

On Sunday, an additional attack targeted Riyadh airport, according to the Saudi-led coalition combating Yemen’s Houthis. This incident follows a strike, also attributed to the group, which resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals the previous day. Major General Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesman, reported that an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport, igniting a fire.

He further informed that air defenses had "intercepted and destroyed" a cruise missile near the airport. The coalition's statement was shared on X.

Earlier on the same day, AFP journalists overheard a significant explosion in central Riyadh. Additionally, three residents in the city's northern region reported hearing another blast. According to an AFP journalist, the birds went into a frenzy due to the sound, and the entire house vibrated. In the Al-Aarid neighborhood, a resident mentioned that ambulances were seen heading towards the airport, which is located northeast of the capital.

A Riyadh Metro official disclosed to AFP that the city's authorities had halted transit services to two of the three stations providing access to the airport. The official stated that this decision would be assessed on a daily basis. The attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday marked a significant escalation in the ongoing Yemen war, where Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognized government against the Houthis. The Houthis recently captured large swaths of the Red Sea coastline in a rapid offensive last month.