Australia condemns Houthi strikes on Saudi airport

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday condemned the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, including attacks on Riyadh's airport.

"Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable and must cease," she said on the US social media company X.

Wong added that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was monitoring the situation in the Middle East "closely."

The travel advisory for the King Khalid International Airport was updated to "do not travel," she said.

Canberra continues to advise Australians to "reconsider their need" to travel to Saudi Arabia, she added.

The Australian Embassy in Riyadh advised Australians in the Saudi capital on Sunday to shelter in place, stay indoors, and follow the advice of local authorities and avoid unnecessary travel, according to Australian broadcaster ABC News.

The warning followed a series of Houthi attacks on Riyadh's airport, which forced authorities to suspend flights and divert aircraft.

One person was killed and 11 others injured in an attack at the airport, the country's civil aviation authority said early Monday.

In an earlier strike on the same airport, 12 people were killed and more than 300 others injured.