The Riyadh airport attack on Thursday, Oct. 8, killed three Saudi citizens, including an airline pilot, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said. The authority said two attacks hit King Khalid International Airport, one on airport facilities and one on a Saudia Airlines aircraft. Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed attacks on the airport, but the Saudi statement did not say who was responsible. The deaths are the deadliest in the kingdom since Saudi Arabia and allied forces in Yemen launched a major offensive against the Houthis last weekend.
What Saudi Authorities Have Confirmed About the Riyadh Airport Attack
The General Authority of Civil Aviation said one attack hit airport facilities and the second struck a Saudia Airlines aircraft. It said several people of different nationalities were wounded, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Saudia said one of the dead was its employee, and the aviation authority said a pilot was among those killed.
Airport operations were disrupted. Dozens of flights were delayed on Thursday, and diplomats stationed in the capital were told to shelter in place. International schools also took safety measures. By Friday, Saudi authorities said air traffic had returned to normal, and flight-tracking data showed flights gradually resuming.
Saudi officials also said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired toward Riyadh. The civil defence agency said falling interception debris damaged a kindergarten and a medical facility in the city.
What the Houthis Say
The Houthis said on Thursday that they had carried out a new wave of attacks on two civilian airports, in Riyadh and Najran, and on the Royal Saudi Air Force’s King Khalid Air Base. Earlier in the week, a Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed strikes on the airports in Riyadh and Abha.
These are claims by a party to the conflict. HCN has not independently verified which attack caused which casualties. The Houthis also said Saudi aircraft carried out 59 air strikes across Sanaa and several Yemeni provinces in 24 hours, causing civilian casualties. HCN has not verified that figure either.
A Week of Attacks on Airports
The Riyadh attacks followed earlier strikes. On Wednesday, Saudi officials said Houthi-claimed attacks on the airports in Riyadh and Abha had killed three people. Footage circulating online, cited by Reuters, appeared to show a passenger plane hit at King Khalid airport that day. The deaths on Thursday are separate from those reported earlier in the week.
The Wider War
The fighting is part of an escalating conflict that news reports link to the wider U.S.–Iran confrontation. The Houthis are Iran-backed. They have encircled Yemeni government forces in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, and are trying to hold positions on the Red Sea coast against a Saudi-backed offensive. Yemen’s government says its counter-offensive on the coast is making progress, while the Houthis say they are holding their ground.
On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed three missile launch platforms that the Houthis used to threaten regional security. The conflict has kept oil prices and financial markets volatile. Readers can find related U.S.–Iran coverage on HCN.
U.S. and Other Security Warnings
The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert on Oct. 8 saying it was aware of the attacks on King Khalid International Airport. It reminded U.S. citizens to exercise heightened vigilance and warned of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption. It said U.S. government employees now need special authorization to use the Riyadh airport. They are also barred from travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border. The alert advised citizens to avoid the border area and follow Saudi Civil Defense guidance.
The mission had issued an earlier alert on Oct. 7, citing public Houthi threats against airports and airspace across the kingdom. Reports said the British Embassy had issued a similar advisory a day earlier.
What Remains Unclear
Saudi authorities have not named those responsible for the Riyadh airport attack, and they have not said what weapons were used. The number and nationalities of the wounded were not given beyond the aviation authority’s general description. It is also unclear whether the airport will stay open if the attacks continue, as the Houthis have publicly threatened airports and airspace across the kingdom.