Twelve killed and hundreds injured in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

A Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10, 2026, tragically killed 12 people and injured over 300, with some victims in critical condition. The strike targeted domestic terminals 3 and 4, causing significant casualties among various nationalities, including Saudi, Bangladeshi, American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Sudanese citizens. This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks in Saudi Arabia in over ten years and has garnered widespread international condemnation.

The Saudi-led coalition, engaged in conflict in Yemen, quickly attributed the assault to Iran-backed Houthi rebels, denouncing it as a "war crime" and pledging a decisive retaliation. In the immediate aftermath, airport operations were halted, and flights were rerouted to allow authorities to assess the damage and ensure safety. International outcry was swift and strong, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and various countries condemning the attack as a clear violation of international law and calling for an immediate end to such actions.

US President Donald Trump indicated that he would consider whether the United States should participate in Saudi strikes against the Houthi forces, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the attacks as "reprehensible." This latest act of violence follows a period of escalating Houthi aggression against Saudi civilian infrastructure since a ceasefire collapsed in July, with the Riyadh airport having already been struck multiple times in the preceding week, resulting in additional fatalities and damage to aircraft.