ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, expressing solidarity with the kingdom and calling for an end to regional escalation.
“We strongly condemn the attack that targeted King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, yesterday, Saturday, resulting in a number of civilian deaths and injuries,” the presidency said in a statement.
“We extend our sincere condolences and sympathy to the leadership, government, and people of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as to the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” it added.
The presidency stressed the importance of protecting civilians and preventing further instability in the region.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from regional and Western countries, including Iraq and Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack killed 12 people and injured 309 others, some critically. The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday renewed their warning to international airlines, airport workers and travelers against using Saudi airports, a day after the deadly strike on Riyadh.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, in a statement on X, reiterated the warning and said Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for failed interceptions.
The Saudi-led coalition has blamed the Houthis for Saturday’s attack, but the group has not explicitly claimed responsibility for that strike.
The attack was the third to target the airport in a week, amid an escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces following the collapse of a truce in July. The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and other infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday did not rule out Washington joining Saudi Arabia in its military campaign against the Houthis following the deadly strike.
“We may,” Trump told reporters outside the White House when asked whether the US would join the fighting. “We're going to look at it.”
