CCTV footage captured from when a deadly strike hit a Saudi airport
New footage has been released by news outlet Al Arabiya showing the moment a strike hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as passengers, including Umrah pilgrims preparing to board their flights, waited inside the terminal.The footage captures the moments surrounding the impact, bringing into focus the danger faced by civilians caught in the attack.The missile strike on Saturday, October 10, killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others, according to Saudi authorities. An Indian national was among those killed, while 11 Indians were injured, the Indian embassy in Riyadh said. The embassy said it was in touch with local authorities and hospital officials to monitor the condition of the injured and provide assistance.
The Indian national who died was identified as Mohammed Yusuf, a 46-year-old IT professional from Hyderabad. According to sources, Yusuf, who was from Mehdipatnam, was waiting near a check-in kiosk with his family to travel to Medina for Umrah when the strike hit the airport. Debris from the impact reportedly fell on him, leaving him critically injured. He later died in hospital. His wife and two children, who were accompanying him, were also injured and were reported to be in critical condition.
In a statement issued after his death, the Indian embassy said it would support the family and facilitate the early repatriation of his mortal remains. External affairs minister S Jaishankar also condoled the death, saying the embassy would extend all possible assistance to the bereaved family.
The Saudi civil aviation authority identified the other victims as four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals and one person each from Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan.The attack was followed by another incident on Sunday, when an unidentified projectile struck a passenger terminal at Riyadh airport, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The projectile hit the complex housing terminals 3 and 4, which are used for domestic flights. Authorities did not immediately provide further details about Sunday's incident. The airport remained closed, while schools in Riyadh shifted to online classes.The latest incidents came amid repeated attacks targeting Saudi airports and oil installations. Yemen's Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, has claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi targets in recent days, but had not claimed responsibility for Saturday's deadly airport strike at the time of the reports.On Sunday, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree warned airlines and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, saying they were vulnerable to attacks.
Airports in Mecca and Medina were exempted from the warning.India's ministry of external affairs strongly condemned the repeated attacks on Riyadh's main airport, including the October 10 strike, describing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure as “completely unacceptable” and calling for them to stop immediately. New Delhi also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and called for peace and normalcy to return to the region.