Second strike on Riyadh airport in two days: one dead and more than 10 injured

Second strike in two days at Riyadh airport: one dead and more than 10 injured

Author, News Department

Place of work, BBC Russian Service

Published 3 minutes ago

Reading time: 3 min

At least one person was killed and 11 were injured in the second strike of the weekend at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said.

“The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) clarifies that a Pakistani citizen was killed in the attack […] 11 other people were injured,” the agency said in a statement on social media X.

A Saudi military spokesman said Sunday's strike caused a fire in one of the airport's terminals.

This happened the day after the strike, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The airport was also the target of attacks earlier last week.

Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks and warned airlines and passengers against using Saudi airports and airspace.

The militants said they attacked the airport with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari said on Sunday that the group also attacked Saudi oil facilities and Dammam airport in the kingdom's east.

He vowed to continue "increasing operations deep inside Saudi Arabia," warning that all of the country's airports - except those in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina - are potential targets.

The Houthis say they are attacking Saudi Arabia because of its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war and because of the airstrike on Sanaa airport. A ceasefire reached by Riyadh and the rebels in 2022 was broken in the summer of 2026.

On Sunday, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said air defenses intercepted a missile near Riyadh airport and a fire broke out in Terminal 4 caused by an "unknown projectile."

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the Houthi attack on Riyadh airport, calling it a dangerous escalation.

"This is a dangerous escalation and, I'm afraid, a worrying trend in Houthi activity targeting civilian targets in Saudi Arabia," he told Sky News. “That’s why the UK is supporting Saudi Arabia with air defense capabilities and air-to-air refueling.”

Last month, British officials announced that Royal Air Force jets would refuel Saudi fighters in the air for defensive purposes, helping the country defend against Houthi attacks.

“We want this conflict to end. It is unacceptable for the Houthis to attack civilian targets in this manner,” Streeting added.

US President Donald Trump previously said the US would “consider” joining Saudi Arabia’s strikes on Houthi positions.

“We will look into this issue. We just learned about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We are acting very quickly,” he said on Saturday.

The attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday was the deadliest attack on the Gulf country since the US and Israeli military operation against Iran began.

The UK Foreign Office has advised against visiting certain areas of Saudi Arabia, including areas within a 10km radius of the border with Yemen; The embassies of other Western countries also issued similar warnings to their citizens.

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