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3 killed, including Saudia pilot, in Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport, aircraft
Among those killed was a pilot with the national airline, while several others of “different nationalities” were injured, according to a Saudi statement.
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Saudi Arabia on Friday confirmed the death of three of its citizens after Houthi strikes targeted King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia Airlines aircraft in Riyadh.
Among those killed was a pilot with the national airline, identified as Hamoud Ali Alkalthami. Several others of “different nationalities” were injured in the attacks, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said.
The attack was the deadliest in Saudi since its coalition and Yemen's internationally recognised government launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis to retake parts of Yemen and around Red Sea under the rebels. The injuries in the incident ranged from minor to severe. The airport operations and air traffic returned to normal after the attacks.
What do we know about Thursday's attacks?
According to a statement from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Houthis carried out two attacks on Thursday.
The first attack targeted the airport facilities, and the second targeted a Saudi Airlines aircraft. A Saudi Group statement confirmed damage to one of its aircraft while it was on ground with no passengers onboard.
The statement did not identify those responsible, but the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed to have targeted the airport with a ballistic missile, according to the Associated Press. The Houthis said they had also targeted an airport in the southwestern city of Najran, a claim which has not yet been confirmed by the Saudi authorities, Reuters news agency reported.
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Saudi says no truce till Yemen govt regains territory: Report
Saudi Arabia will not agree to a truce with the Houthis until the Yemeni government, which it backs, regains all the territory it has lost to the rebels in recent weeks, a regional source told AFP.
Saudi said that it would not bow to Houthis' ‘military blackmail’, the source added, requesting anonymity. The Saudi-led coalition had announced, earlier this week, that it had joined the ounter-offensive against the Houthis, deploying 100 jets to support Yemen's government. The Yemeni forces had earlier said they had secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Reuters reported citing information minister Moammar al-Eryani.
Riyadh attacks come after Houthi warning
The attacks on Thursday came after the Houthis' warning on October 5, published by Saba, Yemen's official state news agency. In a statement published by Saba, the Houthis' HOCC agency said Saudi airspace "is not safe" and “will be the theatre of operations of our armed forces,” AFP reported.
The Saudi-Houthi conflict flared up in July after a 2022 truce unravelled. The foes have traded strikes since the Houthis seized all of Yemen's Red Sea coast and took control of the Bab al-Mandab strait in a lightning offensive last month. However, the warning issued by the Houthis' agency that liaises with airlines provided exceptions for the airspace over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
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