CAIRO -- The airport in the Saudi capital was attacked again Saturday and was evacuated, two regional officials said, two days after three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed there as the kingdom faces an extraordinary series of assaults in the new front in the Iran war. One official said air traffic to the Riyadh airport had stopped. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, including one Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national. There was no immediate Houthi statement Saturday. The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A Riyadh resident, Ahmed Sayed, told The Associated Press he heard at least two loud explosions that rocked the capital. The airport issued a terse alert telling passengers to check their flight status with airlines before heading to the airport. Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea. Their new position gave the rebels better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that’s a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Though the Houthis have told the AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist. The Houthis previously attacked other shipping after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A U.S. bombing campaign ended that. The Saudis have sought support from the U.S. and other allies as its airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure have come under attack. On Friday as he left the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on the Riyadh airport and told reporters, “It’s not good” and “I’m not happy.” But there has been no immediate sign of U.S. military support to respond to the attacks. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that “filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.” Samy Magdy, The Associated Press
