Missile Strike on Riyadh Airport Kills 12, Injures Over 300

A missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 12 people and injuring more than 300 others, civil aviation authorities said. The attack, which hit a complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, is the deadliest in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war. Some of the wounded are in critical condition and are being treated at several hospitals.

The dead include four Saudi citizens as well as two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese, according to the civil aviation statement, which did not assign blame. The attack was the latest in a series of strikes on the airport over the past week that had already killed four people. Airport operations were suspended through midnight, all entrances were blocked, and flights were diverted elsewhere, according to the Flightradar24 tracker.

Shortly after the attack on Saturday afternoon, President Donald Trump said he was evaluating whether the United States should join Saudi strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. «We may. We’re going to look at it,» Trump said. «We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.» The attack is expected to increase Saudi pressure on allies including the United States to provide military support for the kingdom.

The surge in attacks, including against other Saudi airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure, has come in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis. There was no immediate statement from the rebels, who earlier Saturday accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital. The rebels at times take days to claim responsibility.

Later on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and a Houthi-launched ballistic missile had been intercepted in Al-Kharj governorate, southeast of Riyadh. The attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, have rattled markets and the region. Yet the Saudi energy ministry hours after the latest attack was still promoting a major international energy conference set to begin in Riyadh on Sunday.

Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces attempting to reverse recent Houthi gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Those gains gave the rebels better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that is a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships. Though the Houthis have said they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist.

Saudi Arabia is running low on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air defense support to the region, regional officials said last month, with one noting that the U.S. has seen its own stock dwindle during the war with Iran. Officials have said U.S. assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive against the Houthis. Earlier Saturday, Saudi Arabia said its foreign minister and Omani counterpart spoke by phone about the importance of «supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions» in the region.

The Houthis this week warned global airlines «for the last time» about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a «greater focus on aviation infrastructure.» The missile and drone attacks and interception efforts «create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,» it said.

Two regional officials said Houthi attacks on the Riyadh airport on Thursday damaged three planes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief the media. The Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground, with no passengers on board. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that «filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.»

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Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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