US, India issue fresh Saudi Arabia advisories as Houthi attacks hit airports
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US, India issue fresh Saudi Arabia advisories as Houthi attacks hit airports")
A Flynas plane lands at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh Photograph: (AFP)
The US and India have urged citizens in Saudi Arabia to exercise caution amid continued Houthi missile and drone attacks, airport disruptions and flight suspensions.
US and India have both issued fresh advisories to their citizens in Saudi Arabia, urging caution as Houthi missile and drone strikes on the kingdom's airports continue.
India's embassy in Riyadh, in an advisory reported by the Press Trust of India on Sunday, asked Indians "to take due precautions under the prevailing situation." It also asked them to follow updated Saudi Civil Defence directives sent through the National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies.
“In case of an aerial attack, immediately proceed to the nearest safe place (inside a building or an interior room away from windows), and refrain from filming, publishing, or sharing any information, photos, or videos related to the ongoing events,” the Indian mission said.
“Indian nationals requiring urgent departure may consider transiting via Bahrain, Kuwait, or Qatar, subject to obtaining the necessary visas,” the Indian mission said.
US Mission to Saudi Arabia also said that "Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remain suspended." King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam are operational with some delays and cancellations. It told Americans to expect further attacks on airports. US government employees need special authorisation from the Chief of Mission to use any Saudi airport.
The advisories follow an October 10 missile strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people and injured 309, according to Saudi aviation authorities. An Indian national, Mohammed Yousef Ali, was among the dead, and about a dozen other Indians were hurt. The Saudi-led coalition says the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked the airport 20 times this month.
India's embassy had earlier told nationals not to circulate videos or news of the attacks, and opened a 24-hour control room with a toll-free line, 8002471234. Indian carriers have extended their suspensions, with Akasa Air grounded on all routes to Saudi Arabia until October 27, the embassy said.
Saudi Arabia has been at Level 3, "Reconsider Travel," on the US State Department's scale since March, and the advisory was updated again on October 12. Neither government's advisory asks its citizens to leave the country outright.
Saudi Arabia has vowed an "equally serious" response and has struck targets in Yemen. President Trump has said Washington is weighing whether to join those strikes.
