Saudi Airports Remain Military Targets, Houthis Warn
Yemen's Houthis have warned airlines, aviation workers and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, while exempting Mecca and Medina from the threat.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Yemen's Houthis on Sunday renewed their warning to airlines, aviation workers and travelers against using airports and airspace across Saudi Arabia, saying they remain exposed to military action as tensions escalate following the deadly attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.
Yahya Saree, military spokesperson for the Houthis, issued the warning in a statement posted on X on Oct. 11.
He said airports in Mecca and Medina were exempt from the warning.
The Houthis called on international airlines, aviation personnel and passengers to take the announcement seriously, maintaining that Saudi airports and airspace outside the two exempted cities would continue to be regarded as part of the military confrontation.
The statement came a day after an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded 309, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Four of those killed were Saudi citizens.
Read More: Saudi Coalition Vows Response After Deadly Riyadh Airport Strike
The remaining eight were foreign nationals: two Bangladeshis and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
Saudi authorities said the wounded were receiving treatment at several hospitals, with some suffering serious injuries.
The attack also caused substantial material damage at the airport.
Saree's statement warned Saudi Arabia against attempting retaliation and said Riyadh would bear responsibility for what the Houthis described as failed responses to their operations.
The group also reiterated what it called its military equations: "airport for airport, blockade for blockade, and decisive confrontation for decisive confrontation."
It said those measures would remain in force until its stated objectives were achieved.
The warning adds to growing disruption surrounding civilian aviation in Saudi Arabia.
King Khalid International Airport suspended operations following Saturday's attack, while security concerns have prompted wider precautions in the Saudi capital.
Schools across Riyadh have also been ordered to move to online learning for one week.
Read More: Riyadh Schools Go Online Following Airport Strike
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis has blamed the Iran-backed group for Saturday's airport strike and said it would respond firmly.
The Houthis did not initially claim responsibility for that particular attack, although they had claimed earlier strikes on King Khalid International Airport during the preceding week.
Those previous attacks included strikes on Thursday that Saudi authorities said killed three people.
The escalation has increasingly placed civilian aviation at the center of the confrontation.
The attack also prompted US Embassy in Riyadh to issue a warning, expanding restrictions on airport use by government employees, requiring special authorization for travel through airports in Jeddah and Dammam in addition to Riyadh following deadly attacks on the Saudi capital's main international airport.
Read More: US Embassy Tightens Airport Access for Staff in Saudi Arabia
The attacks have gathered regional and international condemnations as well. The United States, the Kingdom of Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, EU, and the United Nations have all condemned the attack, describing it as "terrorist attack."
Kurdistan Region Presidency also issued a statement condemning the attack.
In a statement issued on Oct. 11, the Presidency said Saturday's attack on the airport in the Saudi capital had resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.
"We strongly condemn the attack carried out yesterday, Saturday, on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in a number of casualties and injuries among civilians," the statement said.
Read More: Kurdistan Presidency Expresses Solidarity With Saudi Arabia
The Houthis' latest statement explicitly warns passengers and airline employees, while Saudi authorities face the challenge of maintaining air travel amid repeated attacks and threats.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have been involved in renewed fighting as the conflict in Yemen intensifies, with Saudi-backed government forces also battling Houthi forces on the ground.
For travelers and airlines, however, the immediate issue is the widening risk to airports and airspace.
By exempting Mecca and Medina while maintaining its warning for other Saudi airports, the Houthi statement makes clear that the group intends to continue treating much of Saudi aviation infrastructure as part of its military confrontation.
The warning comes as Saudi authorities continue treating hundreds of people injured in Saturday's Riyadh attack and assessing damage to one of the kingdom's principal airports.