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Tata-owned Air India and Air India Express on Friday extended the cancellation of their flights connecting Riyadh and Dammam till November 30, while services to Jeddah will remain suspended till November 21. Earlier, on November 10, IndiGo said it was extending the suspension of its flight services to and from Jeddah and Madinah until November 21, while Akasa on Thursday said it has further extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh and Jeddah until and including November 30. "Due to the prevailing situation in the region, Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam will remain suspended until 30 November 2026," the airline said in a travel advisory on Friday. Flights to and from Jeddah will remain suspended until 21 November 2026, it added. The airline also said customers with confirmed bookings issued on or before November 10, with travel dates up to November for Riyadh and Dammam and up to November 21 for Jeddah, may receive a complimenta
Airstrikes hit homes in a village near Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 36 others, mostly women and children, a spokesman for Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry said. Speaking to The Associated Press, Anees al-Asbahi said the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue and accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strikes on al-Shariya. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, claimed in a statement later Saturday that the group had carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia in response to the strikes on the village as well as another deadly attack Friday on a market in southwestern Yemen. The AP could not independently verify the Houthis' claims, and Saudi Arabia's Information Ministry did not immediately reply to AP requests for comment. Saturday's toll reflected the rapid worsening of Yemen's civil war, where a yearslong truce fell apart over the summer. Fighting has escalated between the ...
Turkish legislators on Thursday ratified a defense cooperation agreement among Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as Riyadh seeks increased regional support in its conflict with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The vote also came as countries in the region remain anxious about the prospects of a new escalation in the US-Iran war, which would likely spill over into neighboring countries. During previous rounds of fighting, Iran has lashed out at US-allied Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. The 16-article Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed in August, commits the three countries to regard an attack against one as an attack on all three, to work together to deter threats and deepen military cooperation, share intelligence and strengthen defense industry ties. It was approved by 279 votes to 119 in the 600-seat parliament, despite objections from opposition parties who argued that the agreement could embroil Turkey in regional wars and put Turkish soldiers in .
High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye were in Tehran on Monday for meetings with Iranian authorities to try to avert renewed fighting between Iran and Israel and the United States, two regional officials said. The talks come as many in Iran are girding themselves for the possible return to all-out war, as Israeli and American leaders have been sharpening their threats ahead of pending elections in both countries, while Iranian leaders have remained defiant. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and the head of Turkiye's intelligence service were to meet with Iran's top security officials and negotiators to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington. The war in Yemen and strikes by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia were topics also on the table, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters. An Iranian official, also speaking on
Indian airline IndiGo has extended the cancellation of its flights to Saudi Arabia amid security concerns in the region, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed on Friday. "IndiGo flights to and from Riyadh will remain cancelled until 31 October 2026 (inclusive), while flights to and from Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah will remain cancelled until 27 October 2026 (inclusive)," the mission said in a post on X. The flight disruptions come amid escalating drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi Arabia's airports, energy installations and other critical infrastructure, with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis having been involved in a prolonged campaign against the country. The latest extension of flight cancellations comes after an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday killed an Indian national and injured two others. Another Indian national was injured in a separate attack at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield on the same day. Other Indian carriers have also earlier exten
An Indian national was killed and two others were injured in an attack on Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia, officials said on Thursday, a day after another compatriot was injured in a drone attack targeting the kingdom's Shaybah oilfield, amid a spate of strikes by Yemen's Houthi rebels on key infrastructure in the country. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said Saudi authorities have informed it about the casualties in the attack on Wednesday night. "One Indian national was among two people who unfortunately lost their lives in the attack on Dammam airport yesterday night and two Indian nationals were injured," the embassy said in a social media post. The mission said it is ascertaining further details and contacting the affected families. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the deceased and we wish speedy recovery of the injured," it said. The attack comes amid escalating drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi Arabia's airports, energy installations and o