Projectile Strikes Riyadh Airport Passenger Terminal a Day after Deadly Attack
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was struck by a projectile on Sunday, starting a fire in a passenger terminal and causing injuries, one day after a Houthi attack on the same airport killed 13 people and injured 309.
Second Strike Hits Riyadh Airport
A projectile hit Passenger Hall No 4 at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, causing a fire in one of its passenger halls. [5] Saudi air defences intercepted a missile nearby while authorities dealt with the fire caused by the unidentified projectile. [5] The Saudi-led coalition described the incident as an “unidentified projectile” that struck the terminal. [2] Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attack resulted in injuries, though it provided no specific casualty figure, and stated that an assessment of the damage and verification of the safety of the facilities is ongoing. [2] Operations at the airport remained suspended, with civil aviation authorities issuing a Notice to Air Missions that extended the closure until 21:00 GMT. [2] The Sunday incident followed similar strikes earlier in the week, including an attack on Thursday that killed three Saudi nationals. [5]
Deadly Attack One Day Earlier
Projectile strikes Riyadh airport passenger terminal causing fire and injuries. — Source: middleeasteye
Saturday’s attack on the same airport killed 13 people and wounded 309, with some in critical condition. [4] The victims included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, with an Indian who later succumbed to injuries. [2] [5] The strike was the deadliest on a Gulf country since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February. [2] The Saudi civil aviation authority said the injured were being treated at hospitals. [4] Airport operations were temporarily suspended after the attack while officials assessed damage and verified the safety of facilities, disrupting flights and prompting Kuwait Airways to cancel service to Riyadh. [4] The Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond and called the attack a war crime. [5]
Houthi Claims and Warnings
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for multiple operations against King Khalid airport, King Fahd airport in Dammam, an Aramco petrol station and a refinery in the Eastern Region using ballistic and cruise missiles plus drones. [2] [5] Saree warned airlines, shipping companies and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace except those in Mecca and Medina, stating that they are “exposed to targeting and a theatre for operations by our forces”. [2] He said the operations on Saturday resulted in the disruption of air traffic at King Khalid airport and its complete closure. [2] Houthi-run Al Masirah television reported an attack on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, though the Saudi-led coalition has not commented on that report. [2] [5] The group said it had targeted the airport with a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones in the past 24 hours. [5]
Saudi and Coalition Response
The Saudi civil aviation authority said the attack resulted in injuries and that assessment of the damage is ongoing. [2] The Saudi-led coalition described the attacks as a war crime, vowed to respond, and said an unidentified projectile caused the Sunday incident. [5] Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said air defences had intercepted a missile near the airport in Riyadh. [5] Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said the Saudi enemy had launched an air strike on Sanaa International Airport, a report the coalition has not confirmed. [5] The coalition has not separately announced the extension of the airport closure. [2]
International Condemnation
Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia jointly condemned the Houthi attacks and demanded an immediate unconditional halt. [3] EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called the Riyadh airport strike a dangerous escalation by Iran’s proxies that destabilises global transport and energy nodes and must stop. [4] She described it as the deadliest Houthi attack so far on Riyadh’s airport and said the attacks are pushing the region into a spiral of violence while destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes. [4] US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks and confirmed that a US citizen was killed. [5] UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was appalled, and the UK Foreign Office is advising against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, including areas within 10km of the border with Yemen. [5] US President Donald Trump has said the US would make a decision and move very quickly on whether to strike the Houthis, while UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting suggested the UK could potentially provide more support for Saudi Arabia. [5]
Context of Renewed Yemen Conflict
The uptick follows the collapse in July of a 2022 ceasefire between Houthis and Saudi-led forces. [5] The conflict worsened after the Houthis seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, prompting Saudi strikes. [5] The Houthis currently control around a quarter of Yemeni territory and as much as 80 percent of the country’s population. [5] The Iran-backed armed group hopes to eventually seize complete control, and Saudi Arabia fears this would lead to the establishment of an Iranian satellite state on its southern border. [5] The Houthis have said they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen’s civil war, as well as an air strike on the airport in Sanaa. [5] Yemeni pro-government forces later said they had secured the regions along the Red Sea coast. [5] Abdullah Al-Alimi Bawazir, vice-president of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, called for decisive actions from regional and international partners. [5]
What to watch next: The Saudi-led coalition has vowed to respond to the attacks described as a war crime, while Houthi forces have vowed to continue escalating operations deep inside Saudi Arabia with all Saudi airports listed as potential targets except those in Mecca and Medina.
