Saudi Arabia announced that it has extended the suspension of operations at the main airport in the capital, Riyadh, after a series of attacks targeted it.
In a statement on Monday, the Civil Aviation General Authority said the suspension at King Khalid International Airport was extended to complete necessary procedures to verify the safety of airport facilities and their operational readiness.
The decision followed multiple attacks on the airport over the weekend.
Saudi Arabia extended the closure of the airport until 2100GMT on October 17, Flightradar24 said on X, adding that the closure affects nearly 700 flights a day.
Separately, Gulf Air announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Riyadh through October 17.
‘Full-fledged war crime’
On Sunday afternoon, an unidentified projectile struck the airport’s Terminal 4, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11 others, according to Saudi authorities. The Saudi-led coalition also said it intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport.
A day earlier, on Saturday, a Houthi militia attack struck a passenger terminal at the airport, killing 13 people and injuring 309 others, according to Saudi authorities.
The Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of carrying out Saturday’s attack and described the strike as a “full-fledged war crime.”
The attacks come amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi militia, with airports and other civilian and energy facilities targeted in recent days.
