A loud blast was heard at Riyadh International Airport, after which ambulances rushed to the site.
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that all flights to Riyadh had either been diverted or cancelled, reports Reuters.
Almost an hour before the incident, the airport urged passengers to contact their airlines directly and confirm their flight status before heading to the airport.
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It is pertinent to mention that earlier attacks on the airport left four people dead and damaged an aircraft.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second struck an aircraft belonging to Saudi state carrier Saudia. Separately, the kingdom’s national carrier confirmed that a Saudia Airlines pilot was killed, and an aircraft was damaged at Riyadh airport.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, condemning the Houthis militia’s attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
“I strongly condemn the repeated terrorist attacks launched by the Houthis militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the targeting of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, which have resulted in the loss of lives and injuries to civilians.”
Airlines suspend flights to Riyadh
Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights between their respective hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also temporarily suspended its flight operations to Riyadh because of the situation in the Middle East.
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport is one of the largest airports in the world by land area.