Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Oct 12: A fresh projectile attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday killed one person and injured 11 others, according to the country's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
The deceased was identified as a Pakistani resident, while the injured were shifted to several hospitals for treatment, the authority said.
The attack targeted terminals 3 and 4, which serve domestic flights, a day after a missile strike on the airport killed 12 people and injured more than 300. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attributed Saturday's attack to the group.
India's embassy in Saudi Arabia said one of its citizens succumbed to injuries sustained in Saturday's attack, taking the death toll from that strike to 13.
Following Sunday's attack, GACA said authorities were assessing the damage and conducting safety inspections of airport facilities.
A witness aboard an aircraft taxiing at the airport told Reuters that a projectile struck the tarmac near several parked planes at around 8.30 pm local time on Sunday, triggering a fire. The aircraft subsequently returned to the gate, and passengers were asked to disembark and leave the area.
King Khalid International Airport has been targeted four times in five days. Earlier attacks on Thursday killed at least three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, according to GACA.
Airport operations have remained suspended since Saturday's deadly strike, which was described as the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February.
The repeated attacks have heightened tensions in the Yemen conflict and raised concerns about possible US military involvement. US President Donald Trump has said he is considering whether Washington should join the fight against the Houthis.
The escalation has also raised concerns over global oil supplies and prices, as well as commercial shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off Yemen's coast. The waterway is a crucial alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz for energy shipments.
Trump had said he intended to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking assistance against the Houthis. However, there were no indications on Sunday that the US president had followed up on the proposed conversation.
There are concerns that US intervention could prompt the Houthis to disrupt shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, further restricting oil shipments from the Gulf.
The Houthis seized key areas along the strait last month. The Saudi-led coalition, which backs forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government, has been attempting to recapture the areas.