Riyadh airport attack: One Indian killed, 10 others injured; Government says ‘unacceptable’

Riyadh’s international airport was struck by fresh Houthi missiles on Sunday, just a day after a deadly attack claimed by the Yemeni group killed at least twelve people and forced authorities to suspend airport operations. The weekend’s assault marked a significant escalation in the Yemen war, where Saudi Arabia has long provided military support to the internationally recognized government against the Houthis.

On Sunday, the Houthi group claimed multiple strikes across the last 24 hours, including on the airport, and threatened to keep targeting the kingdom’s transit hubs, labeling them “a theatre of operations for our forces”. The Saudi-led coalition reported a projectile had struck King Khalid International Airport, setting off a fire, with air defenses intercepting a missile nearby.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple blasts in the Saudi capital, likening the experience to birds going into a frenzy as the whole house shook. The civil aviation authority confirmed that the attack caused an unspecified number of injuries, and a damage assessment was underway. Another attack was reported on Dammam airport in the east, though the Houthis also claimed to have targeted it.

Security analysts noted that while Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in its military, Houthi attacks continue to penetrate defences. The anti-Houthi coalition denounced Saturday’s attack as a “full-fledged war crime” and vowed to “respond decisively”. The United Nations and leaders worldwide, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the assault, with the latter expressing consideration of joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

The civil aviation authority reported that four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, and one Sudanese were killed, alongside 309 wounded. Health officials activated a rare mass call-up of doctors due to the severity of injuries. Saudi Arabia leads an international coalition fighting the group, exerting control over Yemeni airspace and the airport in Sanaa.