Houthi missile hits Riyadh airport, at least 12 dead

A missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Saturday afternoon. According to a diplomatic source cited by the news agency AFP, those responsible are the Houthi fighters, the Yemeni rebel movement backed by Iran. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for the attack in the hours that followed.

The same diplomatic source condemned the action, calling the airport a civilian target: «Gli Houthi attaccano obiettivi civili. L'aeroporto di Riad è un obiettivo civile» (The Houthis attack civilian targets. Riyadh airport is a civilian target).

The provisional toll is at least 12 dead and more than 309 injured. Several witnesses in the area reported hearing explosions. According to initial reports, the airport was evacuated and flights suspended, but Saudi authorities have not officially confirmed the evacuation.

A week of attacks and a possible US intervention

King Khalid airport has been targeted several times during the week, since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. The Houthis had already claimed responsibility for the previous attacks, including one on Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national.

Asked by reporters whether the United States would join the attacks against the Houthis, President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility. «Potremmo farlo. Valuteremo la questione. Abbiamo appena saputo del recente attacco, quindi prenderemo una decisione. Agiamo molto rapidamente» (We could do that. We'll look at it. We just learned of the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We're acting very quickly), he said.