Bangladesh condemns deadly Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

Bangladesh on Sunday "strongly and unequivocally" condemned Saturday's deadly Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, reiterating its firm solidarity with Riyadh, according to an official statement.

At least 12 people were killed and 309 injured in the attack on the main airport in the Saudi capital.

Fatalities included four Saudis, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan, according to the kingdom's civil aviation authority.

"Attacks endangering civilian lives and targeting civilian infrastructure are unacceptable and must cease immediately," the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry statement said.

The Muslim-majority South Asian nation also called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and a peaceful resolution of the ongoing crisis through dialogue and diplomacy, in the interest of regional peace, security and stability."

The ministry said its mission in Riyadh is in contact with the Saudi authorities to obtain details of the deceased and injured Bangladeshis and to facilitate necessary assistance to those affected.

Meanwhile, a total of five flights from Dhaka have been canceled as of Sunday morning due to the closure of the airport in Riyadh, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

The aviation authority said earlier that airport operations were temporarily suspended after the attack in Riyadh while officials assessed the damage and verified the safety of the airport facilities.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions following a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and facilities in recent days.