Twelve people were killed and 309 injured in a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement issued in the wee hours on Sunday.
The victims included 4 Saudi citizens and 8 foreigners – 2 from Bangladesh and 1 each from the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Some of the injured were in critical condition, while the attack also caused property damage. Airport operations were temporarily suspended for damage assessments and safety inspections.
The Saudi-led coalition condemned the attack as a terrorist act and vowed a decisive response. It also reported that a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and that its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Al-Kharj.
US President Donald Trump said the USA may consider joining Saudi-led strikes against the Houthis. Asked about the possibility of this by reporters in an interaction outside the White House, he said, “We may. We’re going to look at it,” adding that a decision would be made quickly. He described the attack on Riyadh airport as “terrible”.
The attacks have drawn widespread condemnation from several countries and world leaders, who denounced the targeting of civilian infrastructure and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. India strongly condemned the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, calling for an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. It expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and offered condolences to the victims’ families, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
The latest developments come amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and a widening military confrontation linked to the Yemen conflict.
