Explosions heard in Saudi capital as Riyadh airport is reported closed

Maya Anwar/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File

Several explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh on Thursday, including a large blast at the city’s international airport, a witness told The Associated Press, a day after the kingdom said an attack there killed one person and wounded others.

The blasts had an immediate effect on markets and oil prices as the price of crude jumped, and Saudi Arabia slid further into the latest front in the Iran war.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed responsibility for the new attack on King Khalid International Airport, saying the ballistic missile caused damage but giving no evidence. The Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, along with a ballistic missile fired toward Khamis Mushait, in the southwest near the Yemen border.

The Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks against Saudi airports, military and oil facilities in recent days. Early Thursday, the rebels warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which it called a theater for its military operations.

In their new statement, the Houthis also warned people in Saudi Arabia to stay away from oil facilities that “represent targets for our forces” as the rebels press a blockade they recently imposed against the world’s top oil exporter.

King Khalid International Airport “closed again,” the Flightradar24 monitor said Thursday afternoon on X not long after the blasts. “Last landing 80+ minutes ago. Last take off 90+ minutes ago.”

Fire and ambulance crews deployed and smoke was visible, the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The witness said outgoing flights were halted and passengers were instructed to leave checked-in luggage behind and evacuate. It was not immediately clear how many flights were disrupted.

On Wednesday, Saudi officials said attacks on the Riyadh and Abha airports claimed by the Houthis had killed three people — the first deaths since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air offensive against the rebels.

The offensive is aimed at retaking territory that the Houthis seized a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The rebels’ presence on the Bab el-Mandeb poses a threat to the crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz , where traffic has been curtailed due to Iran’s attacks on ships.

The deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia brought condemnation from countries including Britain, India, the United Arab Emirates and others amid fears of an escalation.

Also Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said forces destroyed a platform in Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa that had been used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital. The AP could not independently verify these claims.

Turkey and Pakistan are assessing possible air defense, electronic warfare and technical assistance for Saudi Arabia under a trilateral agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, while stressing that the deal is defensive, not offensive.

“Turkey will not be sending troops into another country’s territory to carry out an attack,” he said, adding that Ankara was trying to resolve the issue through diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia has sought support from allies, including the United States, in the face of the Houthis’ attacks.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry on Thursday said relevant authorities would provide details of any military involvement if necessary.

Maya Anwar/Bloomberg/Getty Images/文件

据美联社报道，一名目击者称，周四沙特阿拉伯首都利雅得发生数起爆炸，其中包括该市国际机场发生的一起大爆炸。此前一天，沙特方面表示，该市发生的一起袭击事件造成一人死亡，多人受伤。

爆炸立即对市场和石油价格产生了影响，原油价格飙升，沙特阿拉伯进一步滑入了伊朗战争的最新战线。

邻国也门的胡塞武装（由伊朗支持）声称对哈立德国王国际机场的新袭击事件负责，称弹道导弹造成了破坏，但未提供任何证据。沙特阿拉伯方面尚未对此声明发表评论。

沙特领导的打击胡塞武装的联军发言人图尔基·马尔基少将表示，他们拦截并摧毁了胡塞武装向利雅得发射的两枚弹道导弹，以及向西南部靠近也门边境的哈米斯穆沙伊特发射的一枚弹道导弹。

胡塞武装近日多次声称对沙特阿拉伯的机场、军事设施和石油设施发动袭击。周四早些时候，胡塞武装“最后一次”警告全球航空公司，在沙特领空运营可能面临严重后果，并称沙特领空已成为其军事行动的战场。

胡塞武装在最新声明中还警告沙特阿拉伯民众远离“代表我们部队目标”的石油设施，因为叛军正在加紧实施他们最近对世界最大石油出口国实施的封锁。

据Flightradar24网站周四下午在X频道发布的消息，哈立德国王国际机场“再次关闭”，当时爆炸事件刚刚发生不久。“最后一次降落是在80多分钟前，最后一次起飞是在90多分钟前。”

目击者称，消防和救护人员已出动，现场可见浓烟。由于未获授权接受媒体采访，该目击者要求匿名。

目击者称，出港航班被暂停，乘客被告知留下托运行李并撤离。目前尚不清楚有多少航班受到影响。

周三，沙特官员表示，胡塞武装声称对利雅得和艾卜哈机场的袭击负责，造成三人死亡——这是自沙特阿拉伯及其也门盟友对叛军发动大规模地面和空中攻势以来首次出现人员死亡。

此次攻势旨在夺回胡塞武装一个月前在也门西部红海沿岸和曼德海峡占领的领土。胡塞武装在曼德海峡的存在对霍尔木兹海峡这一重要的替代航运通道构成威胁，由于伊朗袭击船只，霍尔木兹海峡的航运受到限制。

沙特阿拉伯发生的致命袭击事件招致包括英国、印度、阿联酋等国的谴责，人们担心局势会升级。

周三，沙特领导的联军发言人表示，联军摧毁了也门反政府武装控制的首都萨那的一个平台，该平台曾被用于对沙特首都发动袭击。美联社无法独立核实这些说法。

土耳其外交部长哈坎·菲丹表示，土耳其和巴基斯坦正在评估根据三方协议向沙特阿拉伯提供防空、电子战和技术援助的可能性，同时强调该协议是防御性的，而不是进攻性的。

“土耳其不会派兵进入他国领土发动袭击，”他说道，并补充说安卡拉正试图通过外交途径解决这个问题。

面对胡塞武装的袭击，沙特阿拉伯寻求包括美国在内的盟友的支持。

巴基斯坦新闻部周四表示，如有必要，有关部门将提供任何军事介入的细节。