Saudi Arabia suspends operations at Riyadh airport after an attack causes multiple injuries

A number of people were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday, the country's civil aviation authority has confirmed.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said operations at the airport had been suspended.

A Saudi official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that many people were wounded after a missile hit a passenger terminal.

The AFP news news agency also reported that a number of people were injured, citing a local medical source who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"ER doctors are being called to hospitals across Riyadh," the source told AFP. "We were told we are dealing with a 'serious emergency situation'. Injured are being moved to hospitals across Riyadh."

Several Western embassies in Riyadh, including those of Germany, the United States, Canada and Spain, urged citizens to avoid the airport.

The US embassy said it was "aware of attacks" at the airport. Spain's embassy referred to a "new attack" by the Houthi rebels in Yemen while Canada's embassy warned of "ongoing military activity."

Strikes hit Riyadh Airport earlier this week

The reports come amid intensified fighting between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. 

The Iran-backed Houthis have been launching strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia, including several this week on the airport in Riyadh that killed four people, injured several others, and damaged planes. 

Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways canceled multiple flights between their ​respective hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. Kuwait Airways also cancelled its flights on Saturday.

There was no immediate Houthi statement about the reported blast on Saturday.

Last month, Houthi rebels made advances on important strategic locations along Yemen's Red Sea coast, with a Saudi-led coalition providing air support for Yemeni government forces seeking to take back those gains. 

The Houthis have responded by launching attacks into Saudi Arabia, which represents a significant escalation in their multi-year conflict with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government after a peace deal unraveled in July. 

The Saudi-backed government in Yemen last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all areas held by the Houthis, especially those around the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Can Yemen's government turn the tide against the Houthis?

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

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