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ConflictsSaudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: 12 killed, hundreds injured in Riyadh strike

Wesley Dockery | Zac Crellin | Wesley Rahn with AP, AFP, Reuters
Published October 10, 2026last updated October 11, 2026

Officials said at least 12 people were killed in a strike on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The airport had already been targeted multiple times this week.

An aerial view of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Major airlines have suspended operations in Riyadh amid security threats [FILE: February 15, 2023]Image: Markus Mainka/picture alliance

At least 12 people were killed and hundreds were injured in an attack on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

"King Khalid International Airport was targeted by an attack, amid continued attacks targeting civilian aviation facilities in the kingdom," the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said in an initial statement.

Hours later, the authority announced that 12 people had been killed, including four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese national.

At least 309 others were injured in the attack, the aviation authority said, adding that "all injured individuals are receiving the necessary medical care at several hospitals."

Operations at the airport had been suspended until further notice.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen also announced that "a projectile" had also landed near King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam.

Coalition vows to respond

On Sunday, the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthis of carrying out the deadly attack on Riyadh's international airport. The coalition vowed to respond "decisively."

In a statement, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki described the attack as a "war crime" and vowed the coalition "will respond decisively to this terrorist attack."

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump called the attack on Riyadh's international airport "not acceptable."

He also told reporters that he will speak with Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

When asked if the US might get involved, Trump responded, "We'll find out."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‌said that ​the United States ​strongly condemns recent ​attacks ‌on ‌Saudi Arabia, confirming that ​an American citizen was killed ​in the strikes.

"These reprehensible ⁠attacks ​demonstrate ​a blatant ​disregard for innocent ‌civilian life. ​They ⁠must stop now," ⁠Rubio ​wrote on X.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply shocked" by the Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport.

"Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law," Guterres said. "These attacks must cease immediately."

What do we know about the Riyadh attack?

A Saudi official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that many people were wounded after a missile hit a passenger terminal.

The AFP news news agency also reported that a number of people were injured, citing a local medical source who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"ER doctors are being called to hospitals across Riyadh," the source told AFP. "We were told we are dealing with a 'serious emergency situation'. Injured are being moved to hospitals across Riyadh."

Ambulances were seen outside the passenger terminalImage: Social Media/REUTERS

Several Western embassies in Riyadh, including those of Germany, the United States, Canada and Spain, urged citizens to avoid the airport.

The US embassy said it was "aware of attacks" at the airport. Spain's embassy referred to a "new attack" by the Houthi rebels in Yemen while Canada's embassy warned of "ongoing military activity."

What did the Houthis say?

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.

However, after the attack, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree retweeted his own post from a day earlier in which he said that only pre-approved humanitarian flights would be allowed to land at Riyadh airport.

In the retweet on Saturday night, Saree wrote: "A reminder."

When asked about the attack, US President Donald Trump said the US would soon decide whether to join Saudi strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

"We may. We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We move very quickly."

Can Yemen's government turn the tide against the Houthis?

06:23

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Strikes hit Riyadh airport earlier this week

Fighting has intensified between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. 

The Iran-backed Houthis have been launching strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia, including several this week on the airport in Riyadh that killed four people, injured several others, and damaged planes. 

Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways canceled multiple flights between their ​respective hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. Kuwait Airways also cancelled its flights on Saturday.

King Khalid Airport was hit earlier this week in an attack claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels Image: Social Media/REUTERS

Last month, Houthi rebels made advances on important strategic locations along Yemen's Red Sea coast, with a Saudi-led coalition providing air support for Yemeni government forces seeking to take back those gains. 

The Houthis have responded by launching attacks into Saudi Arabia, which represents a significant escalation in their multi-year conflict with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government after a peace deal unraveled in July. 

The Saudi-backed government in Yemen last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all areas held by the Houthis, especially those around the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru, Dmytro Hubenko

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Wesley Dockery Journalist and editor focused on global security, politics, business and music.
Zac Crellin Journalist and editor based in Germanyzacrellin
Wesley Rahn Editor and reporter focusing on geopolitics and current affairs
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