Houthi attack on Riyadh airport kills 12; Saudi-led coalition vows firm response
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Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has pledged a strong response to a Houthi attack on Riyadh's main international airport, which killed 12 people and left 309 injured, as tensions between the two sides continued to escalate.
Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malki said the Saturday attack on the passenger terminal of King Khalid International Airport amounted to a war crime under international humanitarian law.
Calling it a "terrorist attack", he said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond firmly while remaining within the bounds of international humanitarian law. He also described the strike as a violation of humanitarian principles and moral values.
According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents were among those killed. The foreign nationals included two Bangladeshis and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
The authority said the injured were being treated in multiple hospitals, with several in a serious condition. Operations at the airport were suspended temporarily after the strike to allow officials to assess the damage and carry out safety checks.
The attack was part of an ongoing exchange of strikes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group targeting major airports in the two countries.
India also condemned the attack and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said it strongly condemned the repeated attacks on the airport over the past few days, including the October 10 strike, which caused deaths, injuries and damage to property.
"Repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately," the ministry said.
New Delhi expressed solidarity with the people and government of Saudi Arabia in defence of its sovereignty and said it hoped peace and normalcy would return to the region at the earliest.
(Inputs from IANS)