As world community is fervently launching appeals for restoration of peace and security, Houthis have raised the ante by attacking Riyadh’s international airport killing at least twelve people and injuring 309 others. As a consequence, all flights to Riyadh were diverted or cancelled on Saturday, temporarily disrupting operations at the airport serving a city of around eight million people. The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt according to Saudi civil aviation authority.
The latest development shows the Kingdom has effectively been drawn in a conflict, which might continue till decimation of threat posed by Houthis to the country and economic interests of the world community. The attack was third on King Khalid International Airport this week and deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. It was because of enormity of the damage caused to civilians that Saudi coalition has termed the attack a full-fledged war crime. The targeting of civilian facilities including passenger airports, power stations and oil infrastructure is a clear indication that Houthis want to harm KSA and its economic and commercial interests.
The Houthis have urged airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a zone of military operations after Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an offensive against them on Monday. The strikes have raised questions about vulnerabilities in Saudi Arabia’s air defences as the Kingdom conducts an air campaign against Houthis in support of a ground offensive by Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia’s closest allies – Pakistan and Turkiye – are trying to provide required support yet the US has maintained an intriguing posture ever since the start of conflict involving Houthis. After Saturday’s attack, President Trump claimed that the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes against Houthis yet his mercurial statements are hard to believe unless concrete action is visible. People of Pakistan stand in complete solidarity with the Kingdom at this critical juncture and hope that threat will effectively be eliminated with combined strength of the KSA and its partners.