Saudi Arabia: Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport raise death toll to 18; multiple countries issue travel warnings

Riyadh — Repeated Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport have raised the death toll to 18, prompting the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, among others, to advise their citizens to avoid or reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi aviation officials said one person was killed and 11 injured in the latest attack on Sunday. Thirteen people were killed and hundreds injured in Friday’s attack, described as the deadliest on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. According to Reuters, the total death toll from attacks on Riyadh airport over the past week has now reached 18.
The Indian embassy confirmed that an Indian national injured in the October 10 attack died of his injuries. Three injured Indians remain in intensive care in stable condition, while two others are in general wards.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the Riyadh airport attack and said the group had also targeted Dammam airport and two facilities of Saudi Aramco. He warned Saudi Arabia that it would bear responsibility for failing to prevent any attack.
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said the attacks occurred while the five-day WPC Energy conference was under way at a convention centre about 10 kilometres from Riyadh airport.
Following the attacks, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport remained closed, disrupting air travel across the Middle East. Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 reported that more than 150 flights were cancelled and 374 delayed at Jeddah airport on Sunday.
Australia and New Zealand advised citizens to avoid Riyadh’s King Khalid airport. New Zealand also warned against travel to Najran, Jazan and Asir, while Britain advised against non-essential travel to Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and other locations. The US advised citizens to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia due to the risk of potential attacks by Iran and Iran-backed Houthis.