Death toll from Riyadh airport attack rises to 13 amid Saudi-Iranian contacts
Key Facts
The death toll from Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh rose to 13, with more than 300 injured, The National reported on Sunday, amid repeated attacks that disrupted air traffic in the Saudi capital. The initial toll was 12 dead and 309 injured, according to Arab News, before the increase in fatalities was announced the following day. The Indian embassy said on Sunday that an Indian national had died of injuries sustained in Saturday's attack. The National described the attack as the deadliest inside Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The airport came under another attack on Sunday, its fourth in 5 days, according to Arab News.
The coalition said an unspecified projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport during Sunday's attack, according to Arab News' report on the latest assault. It added that the attack caused a fire at the airport. The coalition also announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport. In announcing their targets, the Houthis named the Shedgum gas facility among the Aramco installations they said they had attacked, according to The National. The Houthis' announcement also included the company's Tanajib oil refinery among their declared targets.
Travel was disrupted as King Khalid International Airport was closed after the attack, according to Reuters, while Riyadh was hosting international energy industry events. Data from flight-tracking platform Flightradar, cited by The National, showed that about 260 flights were cancelled on Saturday. The data also recorded delays to another 219 flights that day. In education, Saudi authorities announced that schools in Riyadh would switch from in-person classes to remote learning, according to Reuters. Authorities set the remote-learning period from Sunday through Thursday, covering the week's announced school days.
On the diplomatic front, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced on Sunday evening that their foreign ministers had spoken by telephone, according to the Associated Press. The call addressed the regional escalation and efforts to ease tensions, in the first publicly announced contact between the ministers since the attacks intensified. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said "Tehran is ready to help initiate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis," according to the agency's account of his offer. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also received a call from his Bahraini counterpart, who expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemned the attacks, according to Arab News. He also received a call from the British foreign secretary, who expressed solidarity with the kingdom and condemned the attacks.
In the energy sector, the World Energy Congress continued in Riyadh as scheduled, according to The National, despite the deadly attack on the airport. The congress runs from Sunday through Thursday, coinciding with measures affecting aviation and schooling in the Saudi capital. A spokeswoman for the Saudi Energy Ministry said the International Energy Forum's ministerial plenary session would be held "behind closed doors." Riyadh was also preparing to host the Future Investment Initiative, scheduled for 26 to 29 October, according to the newspaper. The initiative's organisers said the event would proceed as planned, with additional security arrangements.
On the military front, the Saudi-led coalition said it had recaptured the Red Sea coastal city of Mokha, according to The National. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis, according to Reuters' account of Washington's position. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the airport attack, according to The National. Guterres stressed that "attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute a violation of international law." European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said EU foreign ministers would discuss rising tensions in the region on Monday.