Singapore condemns Houthi strikes after attacks on Saudi airport kill 3

SINGAPORE – The Republic condemns the recent attacks by the Houthis on civilian aviation infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

In a statement on the Middle East situation on Oct 9, an MFA spokesperson said such attacks by the Yemeni Islamist movement, which have led to the loss of lives and injured civilians, are “unacceptable and cannot be justified”.

This comes after the group launched a new wave of attacks, including on the main airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Oct 9, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said that three people were killed and several people injured in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh the day before.

The ​first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second ​struck an aircraft belonging to Saudi flag carrier Saudia.

Saudia Airlines said on Oct 9 that one of its pilots was killed and an aircraft was damaged in the attacks.

The fighting, a spillover from the wider US-Iran conflict, has revived a complex longstanding war in Yemen.

The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen’s reignited civil war.

Riyadh, which leads an international coalition that has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, maintains it is backing an offensive by Yemen’s UN-recognised government to reclaim lost territory from the group.

The widening Middle East conflict has continued to disrupt travel, with the recent Houthi strikes forcing hundreds of flight cancellations to Riyadh.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) postponed the launch of its services to the Saudi capital until March 28, 2027, citing the conflict in the region. The national flag carrier had announced earlier in February that it would launch direct flights to Riyadh from June 2, before reportedly later moving the start date to Sept 1 and then to Dec 1.

SIA and its budget arm Scoot have also extended their Middle East flight cancellations until December.

The MFA previously condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in July, urging all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions, after strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.