📰 2 sources 15 articles · 9 Oct 2026, 07:35 → 6 days ago

Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and a deadly strike on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport

Saudi Arabia witnessed a series of attacks on civil aviation facilities, starting with two attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport and a Saudi Airlines plane on Thursday 8 October 2026 that killed 3 Saudi citizens, then a wider attack on Riyadh's King Khalid Airport on Saturday 10 October 2026 that left 12 dead and 309 injured and led to the suspension of operations and the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The Houthis claimed responsibility for operations targeting airports and facilities, while Saudi Arabia vowed a firm response and described the attack as a war crime.

📍 Where things stand: Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remains affected by the attack that killed 12 and injured 309, with operations suspended and hundreds of flights cancelled amid Western warnings, as Saudi Arabia vows a response and the Houthis claim responsibility for four operations.

⏱️ Timeline

9 Oct 2026, 07:35 Pakistan's Prime Minister expressed strong condemnation of the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and called on the Houthis to immediately stop their attacks on Saudi Arabia, against the backdrop of the targeting of Abha and King Khalid international airports.
9 Oct 2026, 11:41 Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that King Khalid International Airport and a Saudi Airlines plane were subjected to two attacks on Thursday 8 October 2026, resulting in the death of 3 Saudi citizens and injuries to a number of citizens and residents of different nationalities ranging from light to severe, in addition to material damage. It explained that the first attack targeted the airport's facilities and the second targeted a Saudi plane.
10 Oct 2026, 17:39 AFP quoted a diplomatic source as saying the Houthis targeted Riyadh airport with a missile, while AP reported, citing regional officials, that King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital was evacuated and air traffic halted. Reuters quoted witnesses as saying more than 10 ambulances headed to the airport as travellers were evacuated, and the airport issued an alert to travellers to check with airlines before heading there, amid the sound of an explosion, while Kuwait Airways announced the cancellation of two flights from and to the airport because of its closure.
10 Oct 2026, 19:36 Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority announced that an attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday evening, causing a number of injuries, with operational activities temporarily suspended at the airport and work underway to count the injuries and assess the damage. The US Embassy in Riyadh urged its citizens to avoid the airport and the surrounding areas, and the British Embassy advised its nationals to avoid the site.
10 Oct 2026, 20:47 US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had just learned of the attack that targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, affirming that he would take a decision on it, and in response to a question about the situation in Iran he only said "we'll look into it" without details.
10 Oct 2026, 22:44 The embassies of Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States urged their nationals to avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, following a new attack on it and reports of evacuations inside, with the US mission warning of the possibility of flight cancellations or airspace closure.
11 Oct 2026, 07:28 Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation announced, citing Reuters, that at least 12 people were killed and 309 others injured in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, with an American and 4 Saudis among the 12 dead, and the attack led to the suspension of operations at the airport.
11 Oct 2026, 07:28 Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense vowed a "firm" response to the Houthi attack that targeted one of the passenger terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday 10 October 2026, which according to the ministry caused deaths and injuries among civilians, both travellers and airport workers. Ministry spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the attack "amounts to a complete war crime" under international humanitarian law.
11 Oct 2026, 08:27 The attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh led to the cancellation of Middle East Airlines' morning and evening flights between Beirut and Riyadh, with flight ME424 at 08:15 and flight ME422 at 17:35 recorded as "cancelled" according to the official departure schedule of Rafic Hariri International Airport, while 271 flights were cancelled and Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority announced that the attack killed 12 and injured 309.
11 Oct 2026, 19:06 The Houthis announced they carried out four qualitative operations over the past 24 hours, saying the first operation targeted King Khalid Airport in Riyadh in three phases, and they also announced targeting King Fahd Airport in Dammam and two facilities affiliated with Aramco. AFP reported hearing two new explosions in Riyadh.
11 Oct 2026, 19:44 The head of the Progressive Socialist Party, MP Timour Jumblatt, condemned "the Houthi attack on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the targeting of civilians," affirming that solidarity with Saudi Arabia is a clear position that admits no ambiguity, stressing its right to confront this aggression, recalling its positions in support of Lebanon at difficult junctures, and calling for the resumption of diplomatic efforts to stop the cycle of violence.