After suffering an attack yesterday that killed at least 12 people and forced a suspension of operations, Riyadh’s international airport in Saudi Arabia was struck again today by the Houthi movement—a Yemeni Shiite militant group—sparking a fire and injuring an unspecified number of people.
AFP reported that yesterday’s incident was the deadliest attack within Saudi Arabia in over a decade, highlighting a significant escalation in the Yemen war. Riyadh has long supported the internationally recognized Yemeni government in its fight against the Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed today that it had launched multiple attacks on Riyadh airport and other locations over the past 24 hours. They vowed to continue targeting Saudi transportation hubs, emphasizing that these facilities are “battle zones for our forces.”
Hours later, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis stated that a fire broke out at King Khalid International Airport after it was struck by a projectile, while air defense forces simultaneously intercepted a missile nearby.
The Civil Aviation Authority noted that the attack caused an unspecified number of injuries, and damage assessments are currently underway.
AFP reporters and local residents reported hearing several loud explosions across Riyadh today. A resident of the northern Al-Aarid district said, “After the explosions rang out, there was a commotion among the flocks of birds, and the whole house shook.”
In addition to targeting Riyadh airport, the Houthis have recently intensified their offensive against other key targets in the world’s largest crude oil exporter. Three people also lost their lives in an attack on Riyadh airport on the 8th.
Despite Saudi Arabia spending billions of dollars to bolster its military capabilities, Houthi attacks have repeatedly breached its defenses. The anti-Houthi coalition described yesterday’s attack as “tantamount to a war crime” and vowed a “decisive response.”
Yesterday’s attack on Riyadh airport drew condemnation from the United Nations and leaders worldwide, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated he is considering joining Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat the Houthis. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation stated that the victims of yesterday’s incident included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, and one Sudanese national; an additional 309 people were injured.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia reported today that an Indian citizen who had been injured succumbed to their injuries a day later.
Western diplomats in Riyadh told AFP that the officially announced injury figures might not fully reflect the reality, as some individuals with minor injuries appear to have been excluded from the count.
A senior aviation source indicated that the airport remains closed today. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows that the closure has been extended until 9:00 PM GMT.
The embassies of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain in Saudi Arabia have all warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh’s airport. Meanwhile, Australia advised its citizens in Riyadh today to stay indoors and “shelter in place.”
Yesterday’s attack on Riyadh’s airport—occurring on the eve of a high-profile Saudi exhibition and entertainment season—marked the most serious attack within the country since a suicide bombing in 2015.