Houthis’ flagrant attacks on Saudi Arabia must be condemned globally — Phar Kim Beng

Over the past week, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have ramped up their assaults on Saudi Arabian airports, targeting facilities in Riyadh, Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Dammam. These strikes have caused significant disruptions to air travel and resulted in civilian casualties. The most devastating attack occurred on Saturday when a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured hundreds.

On Sunday, another attack on Riyadh airport claimed the life of one additional individual. On October 6, the Saudi authorities reported additional strikes on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport, resulting in three injuries. On October 7, further assaults on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport claimed the lives of three foreign citizens and injured 36 others.

The Houthi group claimed responsibility for these attacks. On October 8, at least one more attack targeted King Khalid International Airport, killing three Saudi citizens, including an airline pilot, and injuring several individuals. An aircraft belonging to the state carrier Saudia was also damaged, with smoke observed rising from the airport.

On October 10, a Houthi missile struck King Khalid International Airport, initially killing 12 people and injuring 309. The deceased comprised citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Sudan. The death toll climbed to 13 on October 11 after an injured Indian citizen succumbed to their injuries.

Airport operations were halted, leading to cancelled or redirected flights. The Houthis have claimed the airport strikes, declaring that Saudi airspace is a military zone. The Saudi-led coalition has vowed to respond decisively and stated that they continue to launch strikes on Houthi launch sites.