Riyadh:Taipei Taiwan's government condemned a series of attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which occurred last week and resulted in deaths and civilian casualties. Among those injured was a Taiwanese national who has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) did not disclose specific details about the injury or the identity of the Taiwanese national, citing privacy concerns. However, Taiwan's representative office in Saudi Arabia has dispatched officials to visit the individual at the hospital.
MOFA has strongly criticized the Houthis in Yemen for carrying out these attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and has urged them to cease all attacks immediately. In response to these events, MOFA has raised the travel alert for regions bordering Yemen to the highest level—red—and increased the alert for the rest of Saudi Arabia to the second-highest level—orange, advising against unnecessary travel.
Taiwan's representative office in Saudi Arabia has used social media to advise Taiwanese nationals to avoid King Khalid International Airport and to remain alert for further attacks. They are encouraged to follow local safety instructions and maintain communication with the office for emergency assistance.
In case of emergencies, Taiwanese nationals in Saudi Arabia can contact the representative office at +966-505-223-725 or 0505-223-725. Families in Taiwan can reach MOFA's 24-hour emergency hotline at +886-800-085-095 for assistance.
The attacks, attributed to missile strikes by the Houthis, have resulted in significant casualties, with 13 people killed and hundreds wounded in the initial strike, followed by another attack that killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others. Consequently, Saudi authorities have announced the closure of the airport until October 17. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for these attacks, citing Saudi Arabia's support for government forces in Yemen's civil war and an airstrike on Sanaa's airport as reasons for their actions.