'Unacceptable': India condemns Houthis attack on Riyadh airports

 Houthi group attacked Saudi airports. (ANI)

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday condemned recent attacks on two airports in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh by Yemen's Iran-linked Houthi group, calling the targeting of civilian infrastructure “completely unacceptable”.MEA issued a statement saying that the attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.“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 MEA said.“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.Three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on the two Saudi airports over two days, according to Saudi authorities cited by the BBC.Two people were killed and 28 wounded in an attack on Abha International Airport, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said on Wednesday.

In a separate attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, one person was killed and eight others were injured, it said. The attacks took place on October 6 and 7, although GACA did not specify which airport was targeted on each day.Two women, who were Moroccan and Algerian nationals, were among those killed in the Abha attack, according to GACA.The attacks, for which the Houthis have claimed responsibility, mark an escalation in the renewed fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen.Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority did not identify those responsible for the attacks. However, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted both Saudi airports with ballistic missiles and drones.Saree also claimed that the Houthis attacked Aden International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday. The airport is a major international gateway for areas of Yemen outside Houthi control and has been targeted during previous bouts of fighting.He said the attacks on the Saudi airports were carried out in “response to the Saudi aggression against our country”, which he claimed involved “60 airstrikes and missile attacks in the past 24 hours”.Earlier in the day, the Houthi group also issued a “last warning” to global airlines operating flights through Saudi airspace, saying the area had become a “theater for our military operations”.The group also claimed it had attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile.

There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia of the latest claim.Saree said the missile “struck its target with precision and caused the disruption of airport operations.”“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,” Saree said.

He added that airspace over the “sacred areas” in Mecca and Medina was exempt from the warning.

The Houthi warning came amid heightened concerns over attacks on Saudi airports and airspace.The US Mission in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday urged American citizens to exercise heightened vigilance amid Houthi threats. It warned that the situation could lead to flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions.