Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia kill Moroccan and Algerian women
A woman of Moroccan origin was killed in an attack on Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. The toll announced by Saudi authorities on Wednesday, October 7, was three dead and 36 injured in two attacks, in Abha and Riyadh.
The attack on Abha, in the southwest of the country, took place on Tuesday, October 6. It killed two women, a Moroccan and an Algerian living in Saudi Arabia, reports Arab News. Twenty-eight people were also injured, some seriously.
On Bladi.net : Houthis Warn Airlines to Avoid Saudi Airspace as Royal Air Maroc Serves Three Cities
The following day, King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh was also struck. A Sudanese resident was killed and eight people were injured. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, or GACA, gave the tolls for both attacks in a statement published on Wednesday.
Emergency teams responded at the sites immediately after the attacks, according to GACA. All the injured were taken to hospital. The authorities also reported material damage at both airports.
Houthis claim responsibility for attacks
Yemen’s Houthis claimed strikes on Abha and Riyadh airport. Their military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said ballistic missiles and drones were used against King Khaled Airport. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, announced that a ballistic missile had been intercepted north of the capital.
The strikes come after Houthi threats against airlines using Saudi airspace. In Yemen, forces backed by Riyadh have launched a ground and air offensive to retake territory seized by the movement along the western coast, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
On Bladi.net : Mohammed VI: “Any aggression against Saudi Arabia is an aggression against Morocco”
GACA said it was working with the relevant authorities to assess the damage and check the safety of the facilities. It announced measures to protect airport passengers and staff.
Among the eight people injured at Riyadh airport were five Saudis, two Egyptians and one Pakistani. Their injuries ranged from minor to serious.
