Houthis claim new attack against airport in Saudi capital Riyadh as witness reports evacuation

Several explosions were heard in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh on Thursday (October 8, 2026), including a large blast at the city's international airport, a witness told The Associated Press, a day after the kingdom said an attack on the airport killed one person and wounded others.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen claimed the new attack on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, saying the ballistic missile caused damage but giving no evidence. The Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Riyadh, along with a ballistic missile fired toward Khamis Mushait, in the southwest near the Yemen border.

The Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks against Saudi airports, military and oil facilities in recent days. Early on Thursday (October 8, 2026), the rebels warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which it called a theatre for its military operations.

Saudi civil defence says kindergarten, medical complex damaged by intercepting debris in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency on Thursday (October 8, 2026) said a kindergarten and medical complex in Riyadh were damaged by shrapnel from an intercepted missile, hours after explosions rattled the Saudi capital.

“Missile fragments fell in Riyadh after a ballistic missile was intercepted, causing material damage to a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex,” read the statement posted by the agency on X, without specifying if there were any casualties.

Riyadh airport tells passengers to contact airlines before coming

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport called on passengers to contact airlines directly before heading to the airport on Thursday (October 8, 2026), hours after multiple explosions echoed over the Saudi capital.

“We would like to inform passengers of the necessity to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before proceeding to the airport,” it said in a statement posted on X.