Bangladeshi scholar killed in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

Scholar dies in airport terminal attack

Bangladeshi Islamic scholar Nasrullah Al-Badr was killed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday when Houthi forces launched a strike on the passenger terminal as he prepared to travel for Umrah, Saudi media reported Monday. Al Arabiya television and other outlets published footage purportedly showing the cleric inside the facility shortly before the explosion, which sent flames and thick smoke through the crowded terminal.

Death toll climbs to 13

The attack killed twelve people initially, including four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents, while injuring 309 others, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. The death toll rose to thirteen after the Indian Embassy in Riyadh announced Monday that one of its nationals had died from wounds sustained in the assault.

Saudi coalition promises 'firm' response

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government, accused the Houthis of carrying out what he called a "full-fledged war crime." The coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond "firmly and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules," he said, vowing accountability for the strike on civilian aviation infrastructure.

Background: Yemen conflict escalates

The assault came amid intensifying hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since July, including repeated strikes on civilian aviation facilities and energy infrastructure. Riyadh has led a military coalition against the group since March 2015 to support Yemen's government, which lost control of the capital Sanaa to the Houthis in September 2014.