'Completely unacceptable': India condemns attacks on Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Abha airports claimed by Houthis

India said that it stands with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Updated on: Oct 8, 2026, 14:06:09 IST

Edited by Nikita Sharma

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India condemned on Thursday recent attacks on Saudi Arabia's international airports in Riyadh, Abha, saying that they were "completely unacceptable and that India stands with the people and and government of the kingdom.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh came under fire from Houthis earlier this week as well. (File Photo/AFP)

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that “India condemns the attacks over the past few days targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.”

"The targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We wish speedy recovery for those injured

“We express solidarity and stand with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it added.

India's condemnation comes after Yemen's Houthi fighters claimed on Thursday morning that they struck Saudi Arabia's main international airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and hit their target “with precision”.

Also read: Yemen's Houthis claim they struck Saudi's Riyadh airport with ballistic missile; ops hit

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a post on X that after the attack, operations at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport were disrupted. He also warned global airlines to not operate flights in Saudi airspace, except for the airspace over the sacred sites of Mecca al-Mukarramah and Medina al-Munawwarah or there will be “consequences”.

“We reiterate our call and warning _for the last time_ to all global airlines regarding the consequences of continuing to operate flights in Saudi airspace, which has become a theater for our military operations, with the exception of the airspace over the sacred areas in Mecca al-Mukarramah and Medina al-Munawwarah,” Saree's post read.

The group's claim of fresh attack on Saudi came a day after they said that they launched a series of attacks in the kingdom, killing three people. Saudi's King Khalid airport and Abha airport came under fire on Tuesday and Wednesday and suffered damage, following which, the Houthis took responsibility for both the attacks.

Blasts heard in Saudi, diplomats instructed to take shelter

Multiple blasts were heard in Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday, news agency AFP reporting, following which, diplomats were asked take shelter in their respective embassies.

Residents also told AFP that international schools were also taking precautions and that one facility sent children into a basement for safety.

Some firms also evacuated their staff from the area, two people working in Riyadh's business hub told AFP.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nikita Sharma
Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More

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