Riyadh Airport Attack 12 killed and 309 injured as Houthi strikes escalate

At least 12 people were killed and 309 injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement escalated.

Three officials briefed on the strike, including two Western officials and one Arab official, told the media that the death toll had reached at least 12. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the incident publicly.

The attack was the deadliest reported in a Gulf Arab country since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation suspended operations at the airport following the strike. More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing to the airport, Reuters reported, citing an eyewitness.

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 witness who said they were inside the domestic terminal told the media that gate 401 had been hit and described seeing injured people. “Everyone was running,” the witness said.

Pakistan at UN Envoy warns India’s military doctrine threatens regional stability

A source at a local hospital told AFP that dozens of people had been wounded. Medical staff were also asked to report to hospitals to help deal with the emergency.

“We were told we are dealing with a ‘serious emergency situation’,” the medical source said.

The latest attack followed two earlier incidents targeting Saudi aviation facilities. Authorities said on Friday that three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, had been killed in two attacks on Thursday involving the airport and a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft.

Three other people were reportedly killed in Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7.

Western embassies in Saudi Arabia issued warnings advising their citizens to stay away from the airport. The UK Foreign Office urged British nationals to avoid the area until the airport was secure and to follow guidance from Saudi authorities.

Several Gulf airlines cancelled flights to and from Riyadh. Kuwait Airways cited the security situation, while flight-tracking data showed that services were being cancelled or diverted.

The attack comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis, who control much of the country’s north-west.

Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several other areas in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the internationally recognised government.

The latest violence has raised concerns about further regional escalation, particularly as attacks have increasingly affected airports and other critical infrastructure.