Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Saudi minister vows 'serious response' to Houthi attacks on airports

 Saudi Arabia's energy minister has vowed a "serious" response to the deadly attacks on the kingdom's airports and oil and gas facilities by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.

"The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh.

On Sunday, a Pakistani man was killed in an attack on a terminal at the capital's King Khalid International Airport, Saudi authorities said. It came a day after a Houthi missile hit another terminal, killing 13 people and forcing its closure.

The Houthis said they launched the attacks in retaliation for "brutal Saudi aggression" against areas they control in western Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition is providing air support for Yemeni pro-government forces battling the Houthis on Yemen's Red Sea coast and other areas.

Explosions were heard again in Riyadh on Monday night, with the Saudi-led military coalition saying a ballistic missile had been intercepted and destroyed. A Houthi spokesperson said the group had again targeted the airport.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has said it will temporarily suspend flights to Riyadh and the north-eastern city of Dammam. Etihad Airways said it had cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to "regional disruption".

King Khalid airport is expected to remain closed until Saturday. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said early on Tuesday that the Houthis had shot down what he described as a Saudi "reconnaissance drone".

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjly0zqq27e4o

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