Houthi Attack on Riyadh Airport Escalates: Diplomats Shelter in Place, Some Companies Evacuate Staff

On the 10th local time, the Houthi armed group launched a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials said the attack killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, and the airport suspended operations. This is the deadliest attack on the territory of a Gulf Arab state since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran in February this year. According to Agence France-Presse, a large number of non-Saudi citizens live in Riyadh, and diplomats have been instructed to shelter in place within their respective embassies. International schools in Riyadh are taking precautionary measures, and at least one school sent children to the basement for safety. Two people working in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, the city's commercial center, said some companies are evacuating employees from the area. Multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada, have warned citizens to avoid King Khalid International Airport. Aviation tracking website Flightradar showed that all flights to Riyadh have been diverted or canceled. Before this attack, airlines such as Air India, flydubai, Lufthansa Group, and Pakistan International Airlines had all suspended flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports.