Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport kill three; Pakistan tells UN its Saudi commitment is 'resolute'

Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis are now in open war again. Houthi strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Thursday 8 October killed three people and injured several others, Saudi authorities said on Friday, according to Reuters, as published by Business Recorder. A Saudia aircraft was damaged and smoke rose over the airport; Saudia said one of the dead was its employee.

On Friday evening in New York, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told the Security Council that Pakistan's commitment to Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security is "resolute", Dawn reported.

What happened in Riyadh

• The Houthis have stepped up missile strikes on the kingdom and are trying to shut its airspace. They have threatened aircraft over Saudi Arabia, except over Makkah and Madinah, and warned oil facility workers they would be targeted.
• Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority says traffic at Riyadh airport is back to normal, and flight trackers showed flights gradually resuming, but many airlines have cancelled or delayed Riyadh services.
• The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has widened its no-fly advisory area, and the flight-safety group OPSGROUP has advised against flying over the kingdom.
• The Saudi-led coalition says it destroyed three Houthi missile launch platforms. Houthi officials reported Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa overnight; Saudi authorities have not confirmed them.

The fighting is part of the wider regional war that began on 28 February. Last month the Houthis advanced down Yemen's Red Sea coast, which brought Saudi Arabia back into the war. Reuters reports the kingdom is seeking help from Pakistan and Turkey, its partners in a mutual defence pact.

What Pakistan said at the UN Security Council

Speaking at the Council's monthly briefing on Yemen, Ambassador Ahmad cited the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: "The security and sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques must be respected at all times." He said Pakistan backs Saudi Arabia's "legitimate right to defend its people".

He condemned Houthi attacks on infrastructure in Makkah Governorate and on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah, and recalled Pakistan's condemnation of the strikes on King Khalid and Abha airports. "The Houthi militia must immediately cease these attacks," he said, and asked the Council to "act with unity and purpose to halt Houthi attacks." He also called for humanitarian access in Yemen, where fighting has flared again around Taiz and Aden airport.

What it means for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and travellers

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest Pakistani community abroad and the biggest source of remittances: it sent $2.69 billion in July to September, the most of any country (see our remittances report).

• PIA has suspended its Riyadh flights, and dozens of flights from Pakistan have been cancelled. Before you travel, check your flight with your airline; our PIA Riyadh suspension story has the helpline numbers.
• Sending money home? The currency converter and the riyal rate page show what a riyal is worth in rupees today.

We will update this story as airlines change their schedules.