Government slams strikes on main airport in Riyadh

The government yesterday condemned a series of attacks last week targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that resulted in deaths and civilian casualties, adding that one Taiwanese was injured in one of the attacks and hospitalized in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not disclose when or where the Taiwanese was injured or their identity, citing privacy concerns.

Officials from Taiwan’s representative office in Saudi Arabia visited the person at the hospital, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The ministry slammed the Houthis in Yemen for the series of attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and urged the group to immediately cease its attacks.

The ministry on Monday raised its travel alert for Saudi Arabian border regions, with Yemen on the highest level of “red,” urging people to leave the country immediately.

On Sunday, it raised the travel alert for the rest of Saudi Arabia to the second-highest level — “orange” — advising Taiwanese to avoid unnecessary travel to the country.

Taiwan’s representative office in Saudi Arabia on social media urged Taiwanese in the country to avoid travel to King Khalid International Airport.

It also urged Taiwanese to remain vigilant in the event of further attacks, follow safety instructions issued by local media and Saudi Arabian authorities, and maintain open lines of communication so the office can contact them when necessary.

In an emergency, Taiwanese in Saudi Arabia can call the representative office for assistance at +966-505-223-725, or ask family members in Taiwan to contact the ministry’s all-hours emergency hotline at 0800-085-095, the ministry said.

A missile strike by the Houthis in Yemen hit the airport on Saturday, killing 13 people and wounding hundreds. A day later, another attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others, said Saudi Arabian authorities, who have since announced that the airport would remain closed until Saturday.