Twelve Killed and 309 Injured in Attack on Riyadh Airport

At least 12 people have been killed and 309 injured in an attack on an airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, 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 reported by the Saudi civil aviation authority. Operations at King Khalid International Airport have been suspended following the incident. A Saudi-led military coalition stated it would respond to the attack, which it attributed to Yemen's Houthis and labeled a 'war crime.' The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attacks but were involved in separate strikes on the airport on Thursday that resulted in three deaths and damage to a plane. Recent fighting has intensified between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis, who control a significant portion of Yemen. The attack on Saturday is noted as the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since May 2015. In addition to the strikes on Riyadh's airport, a projectile also landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi-led coalition. These attacks followed reports of three Saudis, including a pilot, killed in previous attacks on the airport by the Houthis. The Saudi civil aviation authority indicated that some of the injured individuals were in critical condition and that damage to the airport was being evaluated. An eyewitness at the domestic terminal reported seeing gate 401 hit and witnessing injuries, stating, 'Everyone was running.' Multiple ambulances were observed responding to the scene. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki confirmed that the attack on one of the passenger terminals resulted in civilian casualties. He described 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 questioned about potential US military action against the Houthis, President Donald Trump stated, 'We may. We're going to look at it.' United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed being 'deeply shocked' by the attacks, calling them a 'violation of international law' that 'must cease immediately.' The attacks were also condemned by Egypt, Palestine, and Qatar. Western embassies in Saudi Arabia advised their citizens to avoid the Riyadh airport, with the UK Foreign Office recommending British nationals stay away until the area is secure. Several Gulf airlines canceled flights to and from the airport, citing the 'security situation.' Aviation tracker Flightradar indicated that all flights to Riyadh have been either diverted or canceled. The Houthis have stated that their actions are in retaliation for Saudi Arabia's support of government forces in Yemen's civil war. The conflict has escalated since the Houthis seized key areas along the Red Sea coast. The Saudi-led coalition was established in 2015 to prevent the Houthis from taking control of Yemen from its internationally recognized government. A temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022, but the informal truce began to deteriorate in July, leading to increased Houthi attacks on Saudi targets.