A missile slammed into a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, October 10, 2026, leaving 12 people dead and 309 others injured, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia confirmed in an early Sunday statement.
Among the fatalities were four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan — spanning at least eight different nationalities. GACA said some of the wounded are in critical condition and were transferred to multiple hospitals across the Saudi capital.
Terminal Hit, Operations Suspended
Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that the missile directly struck a passenger terminal at the airport. Authorities temporarily suspended all airport operations to assess damage and ensure the safety of passengers and personnel on the premises.
Saudi Military Blames Houthi Rebels
While the initial GACA statement did not name any party responsible, Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki subsequently attributed the attack to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have a documented history of launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi targets as part of their ongoing armed conflict with a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government.
Third Strike on the Same Airport in One Week
According to updated reporting by Anadolu, the October 10 attack was at least the third strike on King Khalid International Airport within a span of seven days. A previous attack on October 7, 2026 — three days earlier — killed one person and wounded eight others at the same location, GACA said in an earlier statement.
US and Canada Warn Citizens Away from Airport
In the aftermath of Saturday's strike, the United States mission in Saudi Arabia issued an advisory urging American citizens to stay away from King Khalid International Airport and nearby areas until further notice. Canada's embassy in Riyadh likewise warned Canadian nationals to avoid traveling to the airport, citing active military activity in the vicinity as the reason for the advisory.
Broader Conflict Context
The string of attacks reflects an intensification of hostilities between the Houthi movement and the Saudi-led coalition, which has been conducting military operations in Yemen in support of that country's internationally recognized government. The Houthis have repeatedly used ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to strike targets inside Saudi Arabia throughout the course of the conflict.
By the Numbers
- 12 — people killed in the October 10 strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport
- 309 — people injured in the same attack
- 4 — Saudi nationals among those killed
- 2 — Bangladeshi nationals among those killed
- 6 — other nationalities represented among the dead (US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Sudan — one each)
- 1 — person killed in the earlier October 7 attack at the same airport
- 8 — people injured in the October 7 attack
- 3 — total strikes on King Khalid International Airport within a single week
Why This Matters
Three strikes on one of Saudi Arabia's busiest airports within a single week mark a sharp escalation in the Yemen conflict's reach into civilian infrastructure, with casualties now recorded across at least eight nationalities. The temporary halt in airport operations and the issuance of travel advisories by both the United States and Canada signal major disruption to international travel and elevated safety risks for foreign nationals in Riyadh. The rising death toll — from one fatality in the October 7 attack to twelve in Saturday's strike — points to the increasing lethality of Houthi offensive operations against Saudi civilian targets.
Source: Anadolu Agency / breakingnewsnegor.com