Riyadh:
A fresh Houthi strike hit a passenger terminal at Riyadh's international airport, a day after 13 people, including an Indian, were killed in a deadly attack claimed by the Yemeni group. An unidentified projectile hit terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport, starting a fire, killing one person and injuring 11 others, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities.
Saudi's air defences also intercepted a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport-- the latest of several attacks on the airport in the past week. The back-to-back attacks have forced authorities in Riyadh to suspend operations at the King Khalid International Airport.
The airport has been struck four times in the past five days, with Saturday's attack being the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, especially since the Iran war began. Over 300 other people were wounded in the strike, some critically.
A video from the airport has surfaced online, showing the moment the deadly strike struck the airport, including Umrah pilgrims who were preparing to board their flights. A compilation of CCTV footage from different angles shows travellers waiting to board their flights when a bright orange flash erupts, sending scores of people scrambling for their lives. The footage also shows parts of the roof appearing to cave in.
Dramatic footage of the moment yesterday's Houthi attack struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, including Umrah pilgrims preparing to board their flights before the strike. https://t.co/KWJ3fQiTpW
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 11, 2026
The Iran-backed group has also claimed multiple attacks, including one at Dammam airport in the east, over the last 24 hours, and has threatened to keep targeting the kingdom's transit hubs, calling them "a theatre of operations for our forces."
The anti-Houthi coalition has called the attack a "full-fledged war crime" and vowed to respond decisively.
Amid the escalation, several airlines have suspended flights serving Saudi airports, and some embassies, including India, have cautioned citizens about the risks of using them, after multiple Houthi warnings about the rebels' use of Saudi airspace.
The latest strike in Riyadh came shortly after the Houthis said the airport in the rebel-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa had been struck again and blamed the Saudis. On Sunday night, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel reported further strikes on Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the strikes.
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has poured billions into its military, yet Houthi attacks continue to slip through. The attacks mark a sharp escalation in the Yemen war, where Riyadh has long militarily supported the internationally recognised government against the Houthis. The new front threatens to draw in greater US military involvement in the conflict, with US President Donald Trump saying he is weighing joining the fight against the Houthis.
At stake in this war are global oil supplies and prices, commercial shipping through a crucial alternative waterway to the Iran-threatened Strait of Hormuz, and civilians and aviation throughout the region.