The key facts
- The sons of the killed engineer have been discharged from the Sulaiman Habib hospital; treatment continues on an outpatient basis
- 13 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the 10 October attack
- International flights to Riyadh are still suspended; several airlines have cancelled flights
Discharge after weeks of treatment
The two sons of an Indian engineer killed in a missile strike by Yemen's Houthis on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have been discharged from hospital, the family said. According to The National, 18-year-old Aman and 16-year-old Waseem Ali underwent surgery and continue to receive post-operative care on an outpatient basis at the Sulaiman Habib hospital in Riyadh; they suffered abdominal and limb injuries from concrete debris and glass shards.
Circumstances of the attack
The strike on the airport took place on 10 October; more than 300 people were injured and 13 civilians were killed — the outlet calls it the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. The Ali family was in the terminal waiting for a flight to Medina to perform umrah. The father of the family, 46-year-old Mohammad Yousuf Ali, had worked in Saudi Arabia for about 20 years in the IT department of a bank in Riyadh; according to the teenagers' uncle Raziauddin, he was heading to the restroom when a ceiling slab collapsed on him, and he died in hospital the next day. The teenagers' mother, sister and aunt, who were also at the airport, sustained minor injuries.
Further treatment and the journey home
“Both boys were discharged over the weekend. They will stay in Riyadh for treatment,” the teenagers' uncle said. The elder son's treatment took longer due to glass injuries to his stomach. India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Vipul said the family would return to Hyderabad in the coming weeks once treatment is complete: the teenagers need follow-up examinations after their operations, and it is better for them to remain in Riyadh, where they are cared for by doctors familiar with their cases. The Saudi Arabian government has covered the family's medical expenses and those of other victims, and the Indian Embassy is providing the family with the necessary support.
Context: strikes continue, the airport is not fully operational
According to the authorities, air defence systems intercepted and destroyed Houthi ballistic missiles launched southward on Sunday; the southern areas of the country bordering Yemen continue to come under missile and drone attacks targeting military and energy facilities. Riyadh's international airport partially resumed operations after closing at the start of last month, but international traffic remains disrupted: Etihad Airways, Emirates, British Airways, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air have cancelled flights to Riyadh because of the regional situation. This means that even after discharge from hospital, the family's return home to Hyderabad is complicated — there is still no direct service with a number of airlines.
