Tragic Toll: Saudi Pilot and Two Others Killed in Houthi Missile Attacks on Riyadh Airport

Three Saudi citizens, including an airline captain named Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, were killed during two separate attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, according to an announcement made by the General Authority of Civil Aviation on Friday.

The strikes occurred on Thursday, impacting airport facilities and a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft. While authorities did not specify the exact number, multiple individuals sustained injuries ranging from mild to severe.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the assault, stating they utilized two cruise missiles against the airport. The Iran-backed group also asserted they targeted an airbase in Khamis Mushait using ballistic missiles, alongside an unconfirmed claim of targeting an airport in the southwestern city of Najran.

These casualties follow statements from Saudi authorities on Wednesday revealing that three individuals had already died earlier in the week from strikes targeting Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest. The ongoing conflict has escalated significantly amid renewed fighting, driven by rebel advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast and a counter-offensive by the Yemeni government backed by coalition air strikes. The situation has intensified further as an overspill of the US-Iran war.

In response to the deadly assaults on airports in Riyadh and the southern region—which also saw civilian facilities damaged by debris from an intercepted ballistic missile—the Kingdom vowed to punish the Houthi rebels. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki stated, “The brutal attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia on civilians and civilian objects in the kingdom … will not go unpunished.” He added that joint coalition forces have successfully destroyed dozens of military targets belonging to the Houthis across Yemen.

Meanwhile, operations at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport began gradually returning to normal on Friday after experiencing days of delays and flight cancellations that began when services were initially suspended on Wednesday morning.