Saudi Airport Attack: Missile Strike on Riyadh Airport Kills 12, Injures 300+

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed in an official statement early Sunday that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck by a missile attack on Saturday, October 10, killing 12 people and injuring 309 others. It is the deadliest attack on a Gulf state since the Iran war erupted in February.

According to the detailed statement released by the Saudi civil aviation authority, those killed included four Saudi citizens and residents from Bangladesh (2), the United States (1), Egypt (1), Jordan (1), Syria (1), Palestine (1), and Sudan (1). The injured are being treated across multiple hospitals, with some reported to be in critical condition.

The authority said the attack also caused property damage, the extent of which is still being assessed. Airport operations have been suspended since the strike, and authorities are conducting a full security review of the facilities.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a social media statement that he was "deeply shocked" by the attack and condemned it "in the strongest terms." He stated: "Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and must stop immediately."

U.S. President Donald Trump described the attack as "unacceptable" and said he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss a response. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said Washington "strongly condemns" the recent series of Houthi attacks, stressing that "these reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian lives."

Turkish al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, called the attack a "terrorist act" and vowed a "decisive response."

The attack comes amid intensifying clashes between Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times over the past week. In earlier strikes on October 6 and 7, Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were hit, leaving three people dead in total.

The Houthis had previously warned global airlines for the "last time" to avoid operating in Saudi airspace, declaring it a "military operations zone." According to flight-tracking data, at least 291 flights to and from Riyadh airport have been canceled in the past 24 hours.

As a precautionary measure, all schools in Riyadh shifted to online learning starting Sunday for one week. Several foreign embassies in Saudi Arabia have issued security warnings, advising their citizens to avoid the airport area.