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2 airports attacked, diplomats take shelter, schools on alert: What's happening in Riyadh?
Diplomats sheltered in embassies and schools took safety measures in Riyadh after explosions were heard across the Saudi capital on Thursday.
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Several explosions were heard across Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Thursday, with diplomats reportedly taking shelter in their embassies and international schools also taking safety measures.
Tensions escalated in the Saudi capital on Thursday after blasts were heard and Yemen's Houthi's claims attacks. The explosions came hours after Yemen’s Houthi group claimed it had attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. The claim could not be independently verified.
Diplomats stationed in the Saudi capital had been instructed to shelter in their respective embassies, while residents said international schools had taken precautionary measures. At least one school moved children into a basement.
Two people working in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District also said that some companies were evacuating staff, as reported by news agency AFP.
Explosions earlier this week
The latest developments came after several incidents in and around Riyadh earlier this week.
Loud explosions rattled Riyadh on Monday evening, followed by another explosion that echoed through northern parts of the city on Tuesday. The Houthis had claimed that they struck Riyadh airport and an Aramco refinery, although Saudi authorities had not publicly confirmed an attack on the airport.
King Khalid International Airport had also been facing frequent temporary airspace closures, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, while Saudi authorities had not publicly acknowledged closures or confirmed strikes on the airport.
On October 3, flames and thick smoke were seen rising from an Aramco facility south of Riyadh after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted the site with ballistic missiles and drones.
Attacks on Saudi airports
The latest explosions also followed attacks on two Saudi airports on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks targeting Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, according to AFP reports.
According to the aviation authority, one Sudanese national was killed and eight people were injured at King Khalid International Airport, while two people were killed and 28 injured at Abha airport.
At Abha airport, the victims included two female residents of Moroccan and Algerian nationalities, while those injured included Saudi, Bangladeshi and Filipino nationals, according to GACA.
At King Khalid airport, the person killed was a Sudanese resident, while the eight injured included Saudi, Egyptian and Pakistani nationals.
The Saudi aviation authority also said the attacks caused property damage and that emergency teams and relevant authorities responded under established emergency procedures.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones, while also claiming attacks on Abha airport and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, as reported by ANI.
Also Read: Massive blaze at Aramco facility in Riyadh, fire engines rush; Houthis claim missile, drone strike
Saudi coalition says missile intercepted
The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh and destroyed the platform used to launch the attack in Sanaa, Yemen.
The coalition also vowed a response to the Houthi attacks. AFP reported that it later said it had destroyed 82 military targets in Yemen, while Reuters reported that more than 80 Houthi military sites had been struck.
The Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including airports and energy facilities.
US embassy issues security alert
The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert warning Americans in Saudi Arabia to exercise heightened vigilance following Houthi threats targeting airports and airspace in the kingdom.
The embassy warned that the situation could result in flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.
Also Read: Saudi coalition says intercepted missile fired by Yemen's Houthis
Fighting escalates in Yemen
The developments in Riyadh come as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has intensified.
The conflict escalated in July after a four-year ceasefire, with Houthi forces making territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have since launched a counter-offensive to retake strategic territory around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route for global shipping and energy supplies.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest fighting began in July, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The Houthis and Saudi-led coalition have made competing claims about military operations and attacks, which could not be independently verified.
In Riyadh, diplomats remained under instructions to shelter in their embassies and schools took precautionary measures as explosions were heard across the Saudi capital on Thursday.
