Houthi Strikes Kill at Least 13 at Riyadh Airport, Suspend Operations

Houthi forces in Yemen struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport several times in early October, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 300 in the deadliest attacks on Saudi soil in more than a decade.

Saudi civil aviation authorities said Saturday’s strike alone killed 12 people: four Saudi citizens, two from Bangladesh, and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. An Indian national later died of injuries, raising the toll. A separate strike on Sunday killed one Pakistani resident and wounded 11 others.

The airport, which serves a city of about 8 million people, suspended operations and diverted flights. Authorities extended the closure until at least Monday evening. Earlier strikes the same week had killed three Saudis, including a Saudia pilot, and damaged aircraft on the ground.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and receive support from Iran, have escalated attacks on Saudi airports amid renewed fighting after a ceasefire collapsed. They claimed responsibility for some of the strikes, including Thursday’s that hit the terminal and damaged a commercial plane. Saudi-led coalition officials called the attacks war crimes and said they would respond under international law.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strikes on civilian infrastructure. Saudi officials activated emergency medical protocols and called in additional doctors to treat the wounded, some of them critically. Among the dead were a Saudia pilot, an Egyptian flight attendant and a Syrian mother of four.

The attacks exposed gaps in Saudi air defences as the kingdom continues military support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Flights remained disrupted, and regional airlines adjusted schedules. The broader conflict involving Iran, Houthi capabilities and Gulf security continues to affect commercial aviation and oil infrastructure across the region.

Saudi authorities said damage assessments were ongoing and that all wounded received hospital care. The death toll and injury counts come from the General Authority of Civil Aviation and related official statements.