Attack on Riyadh Airport Results in Casualties and Flight Disruptions

At least 12 people have been killed and 309 injured in an attack on the international airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to local authorities. The fatalities included four Saudis, two individuals from Bangladesh, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt, as confirmed by the Saudi civil aviation authority. Operations at King Khalid International Airport have been suspended. A Saudi-led military coalition condemned the attack, labeling it a "war crime" and attributing it to Yemen's Houthis. The Houthis have not commented on the recent attack but acknowledged responsibility for separate strikes on the same airport on Thursday, which resulted in three deaths and damage to a plane. Additionally, three people were killed in separate Houthi attacks on two different Saudi airports on October 6 and 7. Saturday's incident marks the deadliest attack in the kingdom since May 2015. Recent fighting has intensified between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis, who are supported by Iran and control a significant portion of Yemen. Alongside the strikes on Riyadh's airport, a projectile also landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, according to the Saudi-led coalition. The Saudi civil aviation authority reported that some of the injured were in critical condition and that damage to the airport was being evaluated. An eyewitness in the domestic terminal reported seeing gate 401 hit and individuals injured, stating that "everyone was running." More than a dozen ambulances were dispatched to the airport, as reported by Reuters. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki stated that the attack on one of the passenger terminals resulted in civilian casualties among passengers and airport staff, characterizing the incident as a "full-fledged war crime." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, confirming that an American citizen was among those killed. When asked if the US would join Saudi Arabia in retaliatory strikes against the Houthis, President Donald Trump indicated that a decision would be made after assessing the situation. António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, expressed being "deeply shocked" by the attacks, calling them a "violation of international law" that must cease immediately. The attacks have also drawn condemnation from Egypt, Palestine, and Qatar. Western embassies in Saudi Arabia have advised their citizens to avoid the Riyadh airport, with the UK Foreign Office urging British nationals to stay away until the area is secure. Several Gulf airlines have canceled flights to and from the airport, with Kuwait Airways citing the "security situation." All flights to Riyadh have either been diverted or canceled, according to aviation tracker Flightradar. The Houthis claim their actions are in response to Saudi Arabia's support for government forces in Yemen's civil war. The conflict has escalated following the Houthis' capture of key areas along the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha, a critical point for global shipping. The Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 to prevent the Houthis from taking control of Yemen from its internationally recognized government. A temporary ceasefire was established in 2022, but the informal truce began to deteriorate in July, leading to renewed missile and drone attacks by the Houthis on Saudi targets, including airports and oil facilities, as retaliation for what they describe as a prolonged Saudi blockade and an airstrike on the airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.