Houthi attack on Riyadh airport kills 12, injures over 300

An October 10, 2026 missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people, including an American, and injured 309 others as Houthi militia attacks on Saudi civil aviation escalated. The strike hit Terminals 3 and 4, forcing flight suspensions and global airline cancellations. Amid ongoing fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast, US President Donald Trump stated Washington is considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis, while international governments condemned the escalation.

Casualties and damage from airport attack

• ▪Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the 12 fatalities from the October 10, 2026 King Khalid Airport attack included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan
• ▪The October 10, 2026 attack on King Khalid International Airport struck a complex housing Terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, causing ceiling collapses near departure gates and flooding local hospitals with wounded travellers
• ▪A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10, 2026 killed 12 people and injured 309 others
• ▪Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport on October 8, 2026 damaged three commercial aircraft on the ground

International condemnation of airport attack

• ▪Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani condemned the October 10, 2026 attack on King Khalid International Airport as a threat to regional security
• ▪Foreign ministries from Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus, Oman, and Somalia issued formal statements condemning attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian aviation infrastructure

US response and military involvement

• ▪US Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, highlighting the death of a US citizen in the attack on King Khalid International Airport
• ▪US military support for Saudi Arabia's offensive against Houthi forces has included intelligence sharing, target identification, and operational planning
• ▪US President Donald Trump stated on October 10, 2026 that the United States is evaluating whether to join Saudi Arabia in military strikes against Houthi targets

Travel advisories and instructions for travelers

• ▪Foreign embassies in Riyadh, including those of the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Germany, and Australia, issued travel advisories warning their citizens to avoid King Khalid International Airport
• ▪Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed its citizens traveling to the kingdom to contact local embassies if their itineraries were disrupted following the October 10, 2026 attack on King Khalid International Airport

Military escalation in Yemen

• ▪Fighting in Yemen escalated after a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive in October 2026 against Houthi forces attempting to control Red Sea shipping routes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait
• ▪Yemeni government forces conducted over 1,900 operations targeting Houthi military positions and ammunition depots in Yemen, while Houthi forces placed the city of Taiz under siege

Debatable claims

• ▪The United States should join Saudi Arabia in direct military strikes against Houthi targets
• ▪Operating commercial flights in Saudi airspace currently poses an unacceptable risk to civilian passengers
• ▪Diplomatic negotiation with Houthi forces is more effective at securing regional airspace than military escalation
• ▪The Saudi coalition's offensive in Yemen triggered the escalation of Houthi strikes on civilian infrastructure