At least 12 people were killed and 309 others injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 10, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The deceased include four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Several injured people remain in critical condition, while authorities continue to assess the material damage.
The attack was the third targeting Riyadh’s international airport this week. The two earlier strikes killed four people and caused significant damage to a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the tarmac.
According to people briefed on the incident cited by Reuters, large numbers of injured people were transported to hospitals by ambulances and helicopters. An eyewitness reported seeing an explosion followed by several injured people lying on the airport floor. An injured traveller also told Reuters that part of the ceiling near a departure gate had collapsed.
The attack reportedly took place without warning, with Saudi Arabia’s threat warning system issuing no alert beforehand, according to people briefed on the incident.
Airport operations were temporarily suspended following the strike, with flights to Riyadh diverted or cancelled, according to Saudi aviation authorities. The US Embassy in Riyadh urged American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. The UK, Irish and Canadian embassies also issued statements regarding the incident and its impact on airport operations.
The head of the Houthi group’s media office said in a post on X that the group had “shut down Riyadh international airport.” The Houthis have also warned airlines against entering Saudi airspace, declaring it a zone of military operations.
