Houthi Missiles Hit Riyadh Airport Terminals, Killing 13 and Wounding Hundreds

A ballistic missile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, October 11, killing one Pakistani resident and wounding 11 others. This followed a Saturday strike on the same terminal that killed 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). An Indian national injured in the Saturday attack died later, bringing that day's toll to 13. The Houthis claimed both attacks and said they had shut down the airport.

The Saturday victims included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. Among them was a Saudi Airlines pilot, Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, and an Egyptian flight attendant, Azza Ramzi Mohamed Hassan, 28. A Syrian widowed mother of four was also among the dead. Saudi authorities described the strikes as the deadliest on the kingdom in more than a decade.

GACA said operations at the airport were suspended after the Saturday attack and the closure was extended. Flights were diverted. A witness at gate 403 reported seeing the impact at gate 401 and people running. Health officials activated a mass call-up of doctors. The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a full-fledged war crime and vowed a decisive response under customary international humanitarian law. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the Houthis were targeting civilian passengers and staff.

The strikes form part of an escalation since a truce in Yemen unraveled in July. Earlier attacks on Thursday killed three Saudis, including a pilot, and damaged a commercial plane. The Houthis have targeted Saudi airports repeatedly this week. US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks. Several countries, including the UAE, Egypt, and others, issued condemnations.

The broader context is the ongoing Iran war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 2026. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have used the conflict to intensify operations against Saudi Arabia. Iranian officials have said US responses to proposals on the Strait of Hormuz were insufficient. US Defense Department figures updated Friday listed 21 US service members killed and 865 wounded in related operations, up from earlier counts.

Saudi Arabia has long supported the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Houthis. The airport attacks expose gaps in defenses despite years of coalition operations. Oil executives were dropped from event schedules in Riyadh amid the disruption. Airports in Abha and Dammam were also targeted in the wave of strikes.

The death toll and civilian casualties raise questions about the durability of any de-escalation. Saudi authorities have not detailed the precise damage to terminals or the timeline for full resumption of flights. The coalition continues to report interceptions of projectiles. For travelers and airlines, the suspension means rerouting through other Gulf hubs and higher costs. The attacks continue a pattern of Houthi claims of striking Saudi transit infrastructure as a theater of operations.

As of Monday, the airport remained closed with assessments ongoing. No independent verification of the full casualty list has been published beyond GACA statements and nationalities confirmed by embassies. The Indian death was confirmed by India's embassy in Saudi Arabia. The Pakistani victim on Sunday was identified by Saudi authorities. Further strikes on Sunday prompted additional air defense activity in the capital.

The sequence shows a rapid escalation over four days. Thursday's attack, Saturday's mass-casualty strike, and Sunday's follow-up have forced Saudi Arabia into a position where it must respond while managing civilian infrastructure risks. Trump's consideration of US involvement adds a direct American stake beyond the existing Iran operations. European and Asian airlines adjusted schedules. The human cost includes foreign workers and passengers who were in transit or waiting at the terminal when the projectiles hit.

Saudi media and officials have emphasized the civilian nature of the target. The coalition has destroyed launch platforms in response. Houthi media reported Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport and other sites. The exchange continues with no public indication of an immediate pause. For the region, the airport closures add pressure on logistics already strained by the wider conflict. Oil prices and insurance rates for Gulf shipping and aviation have reflected the risk. Specific numbers on insurance hikes or diverted passenger volumes have not been released by GACA or major carriers as of October 13.

The attacks leave open the question of how Saudi Arabia calibrates its response without further civilian exposure at major hubs. The Houthis have warned airlines and staff to stay clear of Saudi airports. With the death toll at least 14 across the weekend strikes and hundreds injured, the incident marks a clear shift in the intensity of the Yemen-linked front in the Iran conflict.