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At least five people are receiving treatment in intensive care on Saturday after being injured at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, a medical source at a hospital in the Saudi capital told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The source added that "dozens of people, mostly Saudis, were injured... there are at least 5 of the injured, all of them Saudis, in intensive care," noting that some of the wounded were transported to the hospital by helicopter.
A diplomatic source familiar with the incident had previously told AFP that the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen launched a missile that struck the airport.
Witnesses and informed sources reported to Reuters and AFP on Saturday that an explosion was heard at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, while witnesses spoke of the airport being evacuated and more than 10 ambulances heading to its premises.
Reuters quoted witnesses as hearing a loud explosion, while three witnesses told AFP that evacuations were taking place at the airport, after its administration called on passengers to contact airlines and check their flight schedules before heading there.
A relative of a person injured in the incident told AFP that his relative suffered injuries to the shoulders and arms due to flying glass and was taken to the hospital.
Kuwait Airways also announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Riyadh on Saturday "due to the closure" of the Saudi capital's airport.
Saudi authorities have not issued an official confirmation regarding the incident or the implementation of evacuation operations, and no comment has been issued by the Saudi government's media office or the General Authority of Civil Aviation, according to Reuters. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for any attacks on the Kingdom on Saturday.
These developments come after attacks targeting Saudi airports during the current week, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the death of three people in two attacks that targeted King Khalid Airport on Thursday, following the death of three others in attacks that affected the airport and Abha Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The region is witnessing an escalation in attacks linked to the war in the Middle East, while military developments continue in Yemen, where government military sources reported the advance of forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while the Houthis confirm their continued control over the region and the western coast of Yemen.
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