Saudi-led coalition vows 'firm' response after 12 killed in attack on Riyadh airport

ISTANBUL: The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen vowed early Sunday to respond "firmly" to an attack on the main airport in the capital Riyadh, which authorities said killed 12 people and injured 309 others, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki blamed the Houthis for the Saturday attack on King Khalid International Airport, saying it targeted one of the passenger terminals and killed and injured both travellers and airport workers.

Al-Maliki said the attack constituted a war crime under international humanitarian law and customary rules.

He said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond "firmly" and in line with international humanitarian law.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said early Sunday that the fatalities included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan.

The authority said 309 people were injured, including some in critical condition, and were getting treatment at hospitals.

The attack also caused material damage, which authorities said they were still assessing.

Operations at the airport were temporarily suspended on Saturday while officials assessed the damage and verified the safety of its facilities.

The attack came in the wake of recent Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and other facilities.