No fewer than 12 people have been killed and 309 others injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a Saudi-led coalition vowing a decisive response against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the casualty figures on Sunday, October 11, following Saturday’s attack on the airport’s passenger terminal. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis condemned the strike as a “full-fledged war crime” and vowed a firm response.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the attack targeted a passenger terminal, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.
The attack also forced the temporary suspension of airport operations, while flights were cancelled or diverted as authorities assessed the damage and worked to ensure the safety of passengers and airport staff.
The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was “aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport” and urged American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas.
A projectile was also reported to have fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, raising further security concerns.
Meanwhile, United States President, Donald Trump has described the attack as terrible, stressing that Washington was considering whether to join Saudi Arabia’s military operations against the Houthis.
“We may. We’re gonna look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We’ll move very quickly,” Trump said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an American was among those killed and condemned the attacks.
“We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families,” Rubio wrote on X.
The United Nations also condemned the attack. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the deadly strike and called for attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure to stop immediately.
Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, described the attacks on civilian airports as “a grave escalation”, warning that they threatened regional security and complicated efforts to achieve peace in Yemen.
The attack comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis, who control much of the country’s north-west.
The latest violence follows the collapse of a truce in July and a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, energy facilities and shipping routes in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have said their campaign is retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni government forces and what the group describes as a prolonged blockade.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government against the Houthis. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 reduced hostilities, but the renewed fighting has raised fears of a wider regional escalation.
Several countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan, India, Japan, Canada and Malaysia, have condemned the airport attack and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The latest strike has intensified concerns about civilian safety and the risk that renewed hostilities could further undermine diplomatic efforts to end Yemen’s long-running conflict.