Houthis Claim Riyadh Airport Attack, Warn Airlines Off Saudi Airports; Dammam Hit as Trump Says US May Intervene
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday publicly claimed responsibility for the deadly attack a day earlier on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and warned airlines, travelers and airport workers to stay away from Saudi airports, as the airport in Dammam on the kingdom's east coast was also attacked and U.S. President Donald Trump said American military intervention was possible.
According to Reuters, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the October 10 attack in a televised address. In a post on X, the Houthis warned that Saudi airports and airspace had become a "theatre of operations," urging all airlines, crews, employees and travelers not to use Saudi airports, with the exception of the airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The statement said Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for failed interceptions.
The Times reported that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was targeted on Sunday evening, with the Saudi civil aviation authority confirming damage assessments were underway. The Saudi-led coalition had earlier said a projectile fell near the Dammam airport and that a drone was intercepted in the region on Sunday.
Saturday's attack was the deadliest on Saudi soil in decades. The Times put the death toll at at least 13, with more than 300 wounded. The dead included four Saudis, one American, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and the Palestinian territories, according to reports. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed an American citizen was among the dead, the New York Post reported.
On Sunday the attackers struck again, hitting Terminal 4 and injuring several people, according to The Times. Riyadh's airport has been closed since October 10, with more than 600 flights cancelled. It was the fourth Houthi attack on the airport in the past week.
Washington's posture appears to be shifting. According to Reuters and The Times, Trump said Saturday the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis. "We're going to look at it," Trump told reporters. "We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly." Asked whether the U.S. might provide military support to Saudi Arabia, he said, "We may."
The U.S. had previously agreed a ceasefire with the Houthis, and about 200 American military advisers are stationed in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support without direct combat involvement, according to reports. Analysts say direct U.S. involvement would further escalate the conflict between the United States and Iran and its allied militias.
GSM previously reported Saturday's attack killing 12 with 309 wounded, and Sunday's second strike on Terminal 4; this story follows the claim of responsibility and escalation.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国白宫资料图，公有领域（2017年5月特朗普访问沙特抵达利雅得机场）
