RIYADH: King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital was evacuated on Saturday after a loud blast was heard, with reports of multiple injuries and widespread flight disruptions amid escalating tensions with Yemen’s Houthi movement.
According to reports by Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP), an eyewitness saw more than a dozen ambulances rushing to the airport. A source at a local hospital told AFP that dozens of people had been wounded.
An eyewitness who said they were near Gate 401 in the domestic terminal told AFP they had seen injured people as passengers fled the area.
Saudi authorities had not officially confirmed the circumstances of the incident at the time of reporting. The airport advised passengers to check with their airlines before travelling.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport and urged American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. Western embassies also issued warnings advising their citizens to stay away.
Several Gulf airlines reportedly cancelled flights to and from Riyadh, with Kuwait Airways citing the security situation.
According to aviation tracker Flightradar, flights bound for the Saudi capital had been diverted or cancelled.
A medical source told AFP that doctors had been asked to report to hospitals to respond to what was described as a serious emergency.
The reported incident follows earlier attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthis. Saudi authorities had said that three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, were killed in two attacks targeting the airport a day earlier.
Three other people were reportedly killed in Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7.
The latest incident comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis, who control much of northwestern Yemen.
The Houthis have said their attacks on Saudi Arabia are linked to Riyadh’s support for government forces in Yemen’s protracted civil war.
The conflict has also raised concerns over the security of strategically important maritime routes.
Recent fighting has focused attention on the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key chokepoint for international shipping.