Houthis warn of more strikes on Saudi airports after Riyadh attack kills 12

At least 12 people were killed and more than 300 wounded when a Houthi ballistic missile struck a terminal building at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10, 2026, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), as reported by Al Jazeera. The dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, GACA said.

An earlier attack on Thursday, October 8, killed three people — all Saudi nationals, including Saudia airline pilot Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami — and damaged a Saudia aircraft, Al Jazeera reported, citing Saudi authorities. A day before that, a Houthi missile killed one Sudanese national and wounded eight at Riyadh's airport, while a separate strike on Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia killed two people and wounded 28, according to Euronews, which cited both the group's own claims and Saudi casualty figures.

Houthis renew warnings to airlines

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid Airport with a ballistic missile that hit its target, according to Euronews. Saree warned that employees at Saudi oil facilities considered targets should leave the area, and told international airlines that Saudi airspace has become, in his words, a 'theatre for our military operations,' Euronews reported.

Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis have said airliners should avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a zone of military operations in which any aircraft — except over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina — would be considered a target. The group's media office said it had 'shut down Riyadh international airport' after the Saturday strike, Al Jazeera reported.

Saudi and coalition response

A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition called the Saturday strike a 'full-fledged war crime' and said forces would 'respond decisively ... in accordance with the Customary International Humanitarian Law,' according to Al Jazeera. The coalition said it had intercepted a missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a launch platform in Sanaa used for earlier attacks that week, Euronews reported.

Al Jazeera reported that operations at King Khalid International Airport were temporarily suspended after the Saturday attack while GACA assessed the damage. France24 reported that the U.S. embassy restricted staff access to airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and that schools in Riyadh moved to remote learning for a week as a precaution.

Timeline of the week's attacks

International reaction

Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Oman condemned the attack, according to Al Jazeera. France24 reported condemnation from the United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Pakistan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. The EU described the strike as a 'dangerous escalation' pushing the region toward a spiral of violence, while the UAE reaffirmed 'full solidarity with Saudi Arabia,' France24 reported.

France24 reported that U.S. President Trump called the attack 'not acceptable' and said he would speak with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the strikes 'reprehensible' and said an American citizen had been killed. Al Jazeera separately reported that Trump called the attack 'terrible' and said he was evaluating US involvement in the conflict.

Background

Euronews reported that the Houthis are escalating strikes on Saudi infrastructure as Saudi-backed forces conduct an offensive to recapture Red Sea territory the group seized the previous month. According to Euronews, the Houthis' stated aim is to raise the economic cost of the conflict for Saudi Arabia and press for concessions by targeting civilian infrastructure, including airports.

The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, control large parts of Yemen and have fought a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2015, according to Euronews. The group has previously struck Saudi oil facilities and, separately, Israeli targets, before this month's intensified campaign against Saudi airports.