Oct 25 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Sunday renewed their warning against using Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, hours after the airport announced it will designate two terminals for flights following a suspension earlier this month.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the airport remained a “military target” and operations targeting the airport will continue, warning all airlines, airport staffers and travellers against using it.
Late on Saturday, King Khalid Airport said Terminal 1 would be designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers starting Sunday.
Operations in the airport were halted on October 10, following an attack on the airport, claimed by the Houthis, that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. The suspension of operations was extended two days later.
The Houthis have been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, turning US ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider war.
Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab; Editing by David Gregorio)
