A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh killed at least 12 people and injured 309 others, the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) said.
GACA said in a statement on Sunday that Saturday’s attack killed four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, an American, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, a Palestinian and a Sudanese.
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Some of the injured were in critical condition and all were receiving medical treatment in hospital.
The attack also caused material damage, which is still being assessed.
This is the third attack carried out by the Houthis against the international airport this week. Houthi attacks on King Khalid Airport on Thursday killed at least three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, according to GACA.
Operations at the airport were temporarily suspended following Saturday’s attack, GACA said in an earlier statement, adding that authorities were assessing the damage and determining the exact number of injured.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen called the attack a “full-blown war crime.” Spokesman General Turki al-Malki said the coalition would “decisively respond to this terrorist attack in accordance with customary international humanitarian law.”
Al-Malki also confirmed another incident, saying in an article on X that “a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington “strongly condemns” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including Saturday’s attack on King Khalid Airport.
“These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio said in a social media post Saturday.
The head of the Houthi media office said in a post on X after Saturday’s attack that the group had “closed Riyadh International Airport.”
The Houthis have said airliners should avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a military operations zone after the Yemeni government launched an offensive against the group on Monday.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are at war with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in Aden.
The Iran-backed group has warned airlines to avoid using Saudi airspace, saying any aircraft operating there – except the holy cities of Mecca and Medina – are a target.
Earlier on Saturday, King Khalid Airport urged passengers to contact their airline directly and check their flight status before traveling to the airport, amid reports of air traffic disruptions. The airport did not specify the cause of the disruptions in its initial notice.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also asked Saudi citizens traveling to the kingdom to contact local embassies if their travel itineraries were disrupted following the attack.
US President Donald Trump was asked outside the White House whether Washington planned to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
“It’s possible. We will look into it. We just learned about the recent attack, so we will make a decision. We are moving very quickly,” he said.
“The Saudis are good fighters, but I think the attack was a terrible thing,” Trump said.
A “security situation”
At the same time, foreign embassies in Riyadh, including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, have posted notices on social media for their citizens in Saudi Arabia.
The US mission said it was “aware of the attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh” and “strongly recommends” that all US citizens avoid the airport and its surrounding areas.
The British and Irish embassies have informed their nationals of a “serious incident” at the airport. The Canadian Embassy advised citizens of Riyadh to avoid all travel to the airport, noting “ongoing military activity.”
The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned Saturday’s attack in the “strongest terms”, saying Doha considered it “a direct threat to the security of the region”. Jordan and Oman expressed their sympathy and solidarity with Riyadh.
The Japanese embassy also “strongly” condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and other civilian facilities.
Kuwait Airways announced it was canceling its flights due to the airport’s closure due to “security situations.”
On Thursday, the Houthis’ military spokesman said the group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh airport, saying it succeeded in hitting its target, causing damage and disrupting air traffic.
Days earlier, suspected Houthi attacks on Abha and King Khalid airports killed three civilians and injured 36 others.
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