[UPDATED] Attack on Saudi airport leaves 12 dead, dozens wounded

On Saturday, an attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resulted in at least 12 deaths and over 300 injuries, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the strike, marking a significant escalation in their campaign against the Saudis. The victims included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt, as reported by the Saudi civil aviation authority.

Hospitals were inundated with the wounded, many in critical condition. The attack occurred without any prior warning, with Saudi Arabia's threat warning system not issuing any alerts. In the previous week, two attacks on the same airport left four dead and caused substantial damage to a Saudi commercial plane. These recent strikes have exposed weaknesses in Saudi Arabia's defense mechanisms as it continues to wage an air campaign against the Houthis to support Yemen's government in their fight against the Iran-backed group.

Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government have claimed hundreds of strikes on Houthi-held targets, while the Houthis have alleged civilian casualties, including women and children, though Reuters could not independently verify these claims. On Saturday, all flights were diverted from Riyadh, and airport operations were temporarily suspended.

The Houthi media office announced on X, a social media platform, that the group had shut down Riyadh International Airport. US President Donald Trump was questioned about Washington's plans to join in Saudi strikes on the Houthis, stating that they would "look at it" and make a decision quickly. Witnesses reported seeing an explosion followed by numerous injured individuals lying on the ground, with multiple ambulances rushing to the scene.

A video verified by Reuters showed ambulances at the airport. An injured traveler recounted seeing something fly across the sky before part of the airport ceiling collapsed. The US embassy in Riyadh advised US citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. Saudi Arabia has been involved in the Yemen war since 2015, leading an Arab coalition to push the Houthis out of Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

The war ended in a stalemate, with hundreds of thousands of Yemenis killed by fighting and famine. A ceasefire deal was reached in 2022, but it has since unraveled, leading to a Houthi advance that captured the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb from Saudi-backed forces. The Yemeni government has since initiated an offensive to regain control, making slow progress despite the Houthis' continued presence in major cities.

Flightradar24 reported that all flights to Riyadh were either diverted or canceled, with only a helicopter hovering over the airport at one point. Despite the attacks and previous warnings, major energy and investment conferences scheduled in Riyadh proceeded as planned, with organizers reassuring attendees about their security.