Riyadh airport suspends operations after attack leaves several injured

Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh temporarily suspended operations on Saturday after an attack left several people injured, the country’s civil aviation authority said.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement that the airport was attacked Saturday afternoon, adding that authorities were still determining the number of people injured.

The authority said airport operations were temporarily suspended while officials assessed the damage and verified the safety of facilities in coordination with relevant agencies.

GACA said further updates would be announced later.

The statement did not specify the party responsible for the attack or the nature of the weapons used in it.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry called on citizens whose journeys were affected by suspended or delayed flights to King Khalid International Airport to contact Saudi diplomatic missions in the countries where they are currently located.

The ministry said the missions will provide assistance and necessary guidance to affected travelers.

A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) issued for King Khalid International Airport said the airport will be unavailable from 1627 GMT to 2100 GMT Saturday due to “precautionary measures,” according to NOTAM Viewer website.

The US and UK embassies in Saudi Arabia also urged their citizens on Saturday to avoid King Khalid International Airport following attacks, warning of security risks and possible travel disruptions.

Earlier Saturday, King Khalid International Airport urged passengers to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before heading to the airport amid reports of disruptions to air traffic.

The airport did not specify the cause of the disruptions in its initial advisory.

Kuwait Airways also announced Saturday that it had canceled flight KU775 from Kuwait to Riyadh and return flight KU776, citing the airport’s closure due to the “security situation.”

The airline urged passengers to monitor flight updates through its official channels, saying notifications would be sent to contact details registered with bookings.

The suspension came amid heightened aviation concerns following a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi airports and other facilities.

Saudi authorities said Friday that three citizens were killed and others injured in two attacks Thursday targeting facilities at King Khalid International Airport and a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft.

Airport operations later resumed, and air traffic returned to normal, according to GACA.

The Houthis have claimed responsibility for several missile and drone attacks on King Khalid International Airport and other Saudi airports in recent days.

Yemen has been engulfed in war since the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

ANEWS wp:paragraph