Saudi Arabia. At least 12 people have been killed and 309 injured in an attack on an airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The incident, which took place in the Saudi capital, which has US military support and a large stockpile of sophisticated weapons, has raised questions about the country’s air defense capabilities.

The Saudi-led military coalition also said a missile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. The coalition blamed Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the attack in Riyadh, calling the incident a “war crime.” The coalition has also warned that it will respond to the attack.TAG_OPEN_p_26

In the last few weeks, there have been reports that the Houthi rebels have been attacking Saudi Arabia’s airports and other critical infrastructure. A few days ago, the Houthi rebels claimed to have carried out similar attacks.

Saudi Arabia is a major military ally of the United States. It has invested heavily in fighter jets, missile defense systems, and other advanced military equipment. However, having a large military power and expensive weapons is not enough to stop every attack.TAG_OPEN_p_24

The Houthi rebels have been challenging Saudi Arabia’s security system by using relatively low-cost drones and missiles. Attacks with cheap weapons may require the use of expensive defense missiles. An attack from multiple directions at the same time puts additional pressure on the system to identify and respond to threats.

So Saudi Arabia’s challenge is not only the number of weapons, but also the ability to adapt its air defense system to suit changing war strategy.TAG_OPEN_p_22

According to a CNN analysis, the growing influence of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and attacks on Saudi Arabia have left Riyadh with limited options for retaliation.TAG_OPEN_p_21

Mohammed TAG_OPEN_p_20 al-Basha, a Washington-based risk consultant and expert on Yemen affairs, told CNN that Saudi Arabia was increasingly likely to retaliate.

Why are Pakistan and Turkey silent even after the Mecca Agreement?

TAG_OPEN_p_18 After the attack on Saudi Arabia, questions have also been raised about the role of Pakistan and Turkey. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed his country’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.

On the basis of the so-called ‘Mecca Agreement’ between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, it has also been claimed that an attack on one country is considered an attack on all three countries. But the actual provisions of the agreement and the obligations it imposes on the member states need to be confirmed by the official documents.

Diplomatic support and direct military intervention are different matters. Therefore, how Pakistan and Turkey will help Saudi Arabia will be determined by the nature of the agreement, the decisions of the countries concerned, and the situation of the conflict.

The conflict in Yemen has increased as Saudi Arabia has threatened to respond to the attack. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia is under pressure to protect its citizens and critical infrastructure, and on the other hand, there are concerns that a large-scale military action could lead to a protracted regional conflict.

The attack on Riyadh Airport has shown that the security challenge in modern warfare, despite the state-of-the-art weapons and huge economic potential, is not over. With the help of various international media