Officials in Saudi Arabia said a new strike hit King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 11, a day after an attack killed at least 13 people.
Saudi officials said that an "unidentified projectile" targeted Terminal 4 of Riyadh's international airport, injuring an unspecified number of people and sparking a fire. Saudi air defenses also intercepted a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport, officials said.
Saudi civil aviation authorities said it was still assessing the damage. They also said Dammam airport in the kingdom's Eastern Province was attacked on Oct. 11.
The strikes come as Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike on King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 10 that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. Houthi military
spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the Oct. 10 attack in a televised speech on Oct. 11.
The group also claimed an attack on the airport in Dammam and two facilities of Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco. It also renewed warnings about potential strikes against the King Khalid International Airport.
"We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously, and Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions," the group said.
The airport has been closed since the Oct. 10 attack. Saudi authorities notified parents that all schools in Riyadh would shift to remote learning from Sunday through Thursday, with in-person classes suspended for students, teachers and administrative staff.
The Oct. 10 attack on Riyadh's international airport killed four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and people from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, Saudi authorities said. India's embassy in Riyadh said Oct. 11 that one of its citizens injured in the attack had died, raising the initial death toll of 12 to 13.
Iran war expanding, Houthis say 'worse is yet to come'
Saudi Arabia has stepped up its military involvement in Yemen in recent weeks, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a Yemeni government-in-exile counteroffensive after the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.
The Houthis said on Oct. 11 that Saudi Arabia carried out 124 air strikes in Yemen in the past 24 hours, including the capital Sanaa and the group's stronghold Saada. The Houthi foreign ministry warned that further attacks would cause it to escalate.
"Unless the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen, worse is yet to come, God willing," the ministry said in statements carried by Houthi-run Al Masirah television.
President Donald Trump said on Oct. 10 the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis in the conflict, potentially increasing the scope of the war on Iran that the United States and Israel launched in February.
Energy conference begins amidst strikes
Despite the strikes, a long-planned international energy conference went ahead in Riyadh as planned on Oct. 11.
The five-day conference of international energy organizations, WPC Energy, opened as planned at a convention center about 6 miles from the airport.
A ministerial meeting of the International Energy Forum also went ahead, with its plenary session to be held behind closed doors, according to a media advisory. No further details were immediately available, and it was not clear which ministers joined the meeting.
Italy's energy minister, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, whose country was cohosting the event, said on Oct. 9 that he would participate remotely via video link. German officials were trying to arrange a return flight for Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, who was in Riyadh to attend the WPC conference and ministers' meeting.
She was supposed to return to Berlin on Oct. 12, but the ministry said it appeared likely that her flight would not be able to take off due to the closure of the airport, and alternatives were being considered.
The U.S. war on Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz sparked an energy supply crunch, sending gas prices soaring and diesel prices to new records domestically.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saudi airport attacked after Houthis claim deadly Riyadh strike
