RIYADH — Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia issued a joint condemnation on Sunday of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Riyadh’s international airport, calling the strikes a “dangerous escalation that cannot be justified or accepted under any pretext.”
One person was killed and nearly a dozen injured in an attack on the airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities said, a day after a Houthi-claimed missile strike killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300 at the same airport.
FAKTA: Riyadh airport attacks
- Sunday’s attack: A projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport, igniting a fire in the passenger hall; one person was killed and about 11 injured.
- Saturday’s attack: A Houthi-claimed missile strike killed at least 12 people and injured 309, making it the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade.
- Claim of responsibility: Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed both attacks and warned airlines to avoid Saudi airports and airspace.
- Joint condemnation: The R4 group — Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt — demanded an immediate and unconditional halt to the attacks and backed all “legitimate measures” Riyadh takes to defend itself.
- Defence pact: Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia in August; last week the countries agreed to speed up the deployment of military forces in the kingdom.
Deadly weekend at King Khalid Airport
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the victims of Saturday’s strike included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. An Indian citizen wounded in Saturday’s attack died of his wounds on Sunday, India’s embassy in Riyadh said.
Sunday’s projectile hit Terminal 4 and caused a fire that sent travellers running for safety, according to Saudi state television footage. Coalition air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport, Saudi authorities said, and also intercepted a drone in the Eastern Province and a ballistic missile heading toward Khamis Mushait.
R4 group warns of wider consequences
The four countries, known as the R4 group, said they hold the Houthi militia fully accountable for the results of the attacks and any repercussions that threaten regional and international peace and security, and reaffirmed their solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s prime minister strongly condemned the strikes, describing attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure as unacceptable and a serious threat to regional peace and stability. Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the two countries’ longstanding ties. Pakistan’s Foreign Office separately condemned the attacks and called on the Houthi militia to cease operations immediately.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply shocked by Saturday’s lethal strike, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure. The United States embassy in Riyadh issued a security alert urging American citizens to take extreme caution when using major airports in Saudi Arabia. Read more international coverage on Watan News English.
