Moscow condemns attack on Riyadh airport and calls for diplomacy

Mthe coup d'état condemned the Saturday attack on the international airport of Riyadh, attributed to the Huthis rebels of Yemen and which caused 12 deaths and hundreds of wounded, and defended negotiations as the only solution to the conflict.

“Russia condemns this attack and urges the parties involved in the conflict in the Arabian Peninsula to refrain completely from attacking civil infrastructure,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) said in a press release published on its official website.

The Russian Government expressed the “most heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims” and wished “a prompt recovery to the wounded”.

It also stressed that, according to preliminary data, there are no Russian citizens among the dead and wounded.

“Russia maintains its firm position that there is no alternative to solving any crisis in this region by political and diplomatic means, while safeguarding the interests of all states without exception,” the MNE indicated.

The Saudi authorities announced that 12 people died, including four Saudis and eight foreign citizens, and another 309 were injured, some with gravity, in the missile attack on the airport facilities.

This is the second attack attributed to rebels Huthis at Riyadh airport in just 24 hours, after another attack, on Friday, killed three people and damaged a Saudi air plane and other facilities.

The Huthis, supported by Iran, have in recent weeks claimed responsibility for several drone and ballistic missile attacks against Saudi civilian and military facilities, including airports and energy facilities.

Yemeni rebels claim that their aggression against the Saudi kingdom is a response to Arabian air bombing Saudi to their positions in Yemen, in support of the offensive by forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government.