Houthi strikes on Saudi airports kill 19 and shut Riyadh

Attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia over several days killed 19 people and injured more than 340, according to an account of the strikes. They took place on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Riyadh's airport has been the hardest hit.

A strike at Riyadh on Saturday, 10 October killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The authorities halted operations to assess the damage and check the safety of the facilities. The closure was due to last until Sunday evening.

Then came a renewed attack. Half an hour before the airport was to reopen, an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 and started a fire. A passenger aboard a taxiing aircraft said the projectile hit the apron around 20:30 local time, next to several parked aircraft. The aircraft returned to the gate, where all passengers had to leave.

The airport has been closed since then, at least until Tuesday morning. A Houthi spokesman, Yahya Saree, declared all Saudi airports except those in Mecca and Medina to be legitimate targets and said the attacks would continue until the group's aims were met.

Flight disruption across the country has been extensive. On Monday morning, 362 of 1,048 planned departures in Saudi Arabia were affected, according to an account of the situation. More airlines are suspending their flights, and aviation authorities are warning of the dangers.