Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12 and Injures 309 as Saudi-Led Coalition Blames Houthis
An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi authorities cited in the supplied report. The Saturday strike caused panic among passengers, interrupted flights and prompted an emergency response across the capital.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed Yemen’s Houthis. However, at the time covered by the report, the group had not directly claimed responsibility for this particular attack.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said those killed included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.
Ambulances and helicopters carried injured people to hospitals. Medical sources said some patients were in critical condition, while emergency doctors were called to help treat the large number of casualties.
Witnesses described an explosion followed by people running from the affected area. Two doctors told AFP that several pilgrims travelling towards Makkah were among those injured.
Airport authorities temporarily suspended operations while assessing damage and checking whether the facilities were safe.
According to Flightradar24 figures included in the report, 155 arriving flights and 161 departing flights were cancelled. Another 222 flights were delayed. Some aircraft heading to Riyadh were diverted, mainly to Jeddah.
The disruption left travellers facing uncertainty about their journeys. Foreign embassies, including those of the United States, Canada, Germany and Spain, warned their citizens to avoid the airport.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki condemned the attack on the civilian airport and described it as a war crime. This was the coalition’s stated assessment.
A diplomatic source told AFP that a missile had struck the airport. The supplied report did not establish this detail through an independent investigation.
Although the Houthis had not directly claimed the Saturday strike at that point, military spokesman Yahya Saree warned of further attacks on Saudi airports and airspace. The group excluded Makkah and Madina from its warning and urged passengers not to travel.
The report also described earlier attacks on the same airport that week, including Thursday strikes that the Houthis claimed had killed three people and damaged a plane.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack on Sunday and repeated Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security under the defence agreement named in the report.
US President Donald Trump said Washington might join Saudi military action against the Houthis. His remarks indicated that involvement was being considered; they did not confirm a decision to launch strikes.
Meanwhile, military sources reported advances by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces around the Bab al-Mandab strait, an important route for shipping.
The Houthis said they had repelled the assault. The report stressed that competing battlefield claims could not be independently verified because events were moving quickly and journalists had limited access.
The Riyadh airport attack left a heavy civilian toll and caused major travel disruption. Saudi authorities blamed the Houthis, while questions about the strike remained unresolved in the supplied report. With further threats and fighting continuing in Yemen, the incident raised concerns about civilian safety and a wider escalation.
Source:Dawn