Investigators are also examining why defenses did not provide earlier warning as the weapons traveled more than 1,000 kilometers to Riyadh, one official told AP. Reuters reported that the warning system stayed silent before the deadly airport attacks. The airport remains closed until 21:00 GMT on October 17 while authorities verify the safety and operational readiness of its facilities.
Senior Houthi spokesperson Mohammed al-Bukhaiti denied the group bore responsibility for civilian casualties, saying Saudi authorities ignored its warnings about airport strikes. “Why did Saudi Arabia not stop operations in these airports? Why did they gamble with civilian lives?” he said in an interview with Sky News’ Yalda Hakim, adding that he was “truly sorry” for the deaths. The Saudi-led coalition has called the airport attack a “full-fledged war crime” and vowed a decisive response.