Riyadh airport closure extended after deadly Houthi attacks
publishers 175articles 388first reported 2 Oct, 19:00 UTCdeveloping since 3 Oct · 29 editionstop 25 #6
Saudi Arabia extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh after a series of Houthi attacks killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300 over the weekend, according to Saudi officials and multiple news reports.
Casualty figures for Saturday’s strike varied, with reports citing 12 or 13 deaths. A second attack on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and wounded 11 people, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said. The authority said operations remained suspended while officials completed safety and operational-readiness procedures. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, while about 100 others were diverted, according to Flightradar24. Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Qatar Airways and Etihad were among carriers suspending Saudi services.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on Riyadh airport and other Saudi targets. On Monday, the Iran-aligned Yemeni group said it had struck the airport with a ballistic missile and targeted the Khamis Mushait air base with a drone. Saudi authorities said they were responding to additional incoming drones and missiles, while airstrikes hit the Houthi-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
Several governments issued or expanded travel warnings, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers to exercise caution in and around Saudi airspace. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington “may” join Saudi retaliation against the Houthis. Iran, meanwhile, said it was willing to help initiate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 246 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 175
- Source articles
- 388
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 246 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →