Saudi Arabia confirmed on Friday the deaths of three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, following the attacks recorded on Thursday against Riyadh airport and claimed by Yemen's Houthis. In a statement, the civil aviation authority indicated that the airport had been the target of "two attacks, aimed at airport facilities and a Saudia airline plane." The agency added that "three Saudi citizens" died as a result of the attacks, which also left several people of different nationalities injured. Saudi Arabia confirms three dead after Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport
For its part, the national carrier Saudia Airlines reported that one of its pilots died and that one of its planes was damaged. In total, six people have died in recent days in attacks claimed by the Houthis against Saudi airports.
Attacks caused damage in Riyadh
The attacks forced foreign diplomats to take shelter and led international schools to adopt security measures, while explosions were heard in the city on Thursday. According to Saudi authorities, an airport, a daycare center, and a medical complex in Riyadh were damaged during the attacks. Saudi Arabia confirms three dead after Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport
The Houthis claimed three bombings against the airport on Thursday and called on airlines to avoid flying over Saudi territory.
Operation "Dawn in Yemen" continues
In parallel, fighting continues in Yemen, where more than 400 people have died since the start, on Monday, of the "Dawn of Yemen" operation, launched by government forces with the support of Riyadh's fighter jets. A military source from the government side reported that a "broad operation" was underway on Friday aimed at retaking the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, currently in the hands of pro-Iranian fighters. The passage connects Asia with Europe through the Suez Canal. Saudi Arabia confirms three dead after Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport
Ayman Aref
"The fighting is violent and the advances are limited," the military source said. Hostilities between the pro-Iranian fighters and Saudi Arabia, which backs the Yemeni government, intensified in September, after the Houthis took the Red Sea coastal strip at the end of a lightning offensive.