The latest strike killed one person and wounded 11 after Saturday’s attack left 13 dead, including an American.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — A new attack on King Khalid International Airport killed one person and wounded 11 others Sunday, Saudi authorities said, striking the Riyadh travel hub for a second consecutive day after a Houthi-claimed missile attack killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4 on Sunday and caused a fire. Saudi air defenses also intercepted a cruise missile near the airport, according to the coalition. The renewed attack deepened concerns about civilian aviation and widened a confrontation that has intensified as Saudi Arabia increases military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
Saturday’s attack was the deadliest strike in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. Saudi authorities initially reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries. The dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. India’s Embassy in Saudi Arabia later said an Indian citizen died Sunday from injuries suffered in the attack, raising Saturday’s death toll to 13. The American victim had not been publicly identified as of Sunday.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Riyadh airport and also said they carried out strikes against other Saudi targets. Saudi authorities confirmed that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was struck Sunday and said damage assessments and safety inspections were underway. Flight-tracking data showed delays and cancellations at Dammam after that attack.
King Khalid International Airport remained closed Sunday following the earlier attack. Saudi authorities had suspended operations while damage was assessed and facilities were inspected. The airport has been repeatedly targeted during the latest escalation, disrupting flights and prompting several international airlines to cancel, suspend or reroute services. Saudi schools in Riyadh were also ordered to move to remote learning through Thursday.
The attacks come as fighting has intensified between the Houthis and forces supported by Saudi Arabia. The kingdom entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. A period of relative calm followed a 2022 ceasefire, but fighting intensified again this year as the Houthis expanded operations and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces sought to regain territory. Saudi Arabia has also carried out airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The Houthis have warned airlines and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace as the fighting continues. The group said Sunday that further escalation would follow unless Saudi Arabia ended its military campaign in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has described attacks on civilian airport facilities as unacceptable and has vowed to respond. Claims made by the opposing sides about military operations and casualties in Yemen have not always been independently verified.
The escalation has also raised the possibility of deeper U.S. involvement. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks on the airport, saying they showed disregard for civilian life. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the deadly strike and reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.
The conflict carries risks beyond Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Fighting around Yemen and the Red Sea could affect commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The renewed attacks also come as Saudi Arabia hosts major international energy events in Riyadh. A five-day WPC Energy conference opened as planned Sunday despite the airport disruption.
Saudi authorities continued assessing damage and security conditions Sunday as the airport remained closed. Reuters reported that attacks on Riyadh’s airport had killed 18 people during the week. With missile and drone threats continuing and military operations expanding in Yemen, there was no confirmed timetable for normal operations to resume at King Khalid International Airport.
Author note: Last updated October 11, 2026.