12 dead and 309 injured in the Riyadh airport attack and the suspension of in-person classes, and Trump hints at a response
Quick Look
- The death toll from an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh rose to 12 dead and 309 injured, including four Saudis and eight residents, with material damage and the temporary suspension of airport operations.
- Riyadh schools moved to remote learning throughout the week, and Trump condemned the attack and promised a response, while the coalition intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile over Al-Kharj and the international community condemned the attack on civilian facilities.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
This attack comes in the context of the escalation of attacks launched by the Ansar Allah group on Saudi facilities, after Saudi-backed Yemeni government attacks on the group, and with the continuation of the conflict in Yemen and the intervention of the Saudi-led military coalition for years.
12 dead and 309 injured in the Riyadh airport attack and the suspension of in-person classes, and Trump hints at a response
Published 11 October 2026, 02:03 GMT
Last updated 1 minute ago
Reading time: 3 minutes
The death toll from an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh rose on Saturday to 12 dead and 309 injured, amid Arab and international condemnations and an escalation of attacks on Saudi airports.
Schools in Riyadh moved to the distance education system as of Sunday, following the bloody attack that targeted the airport in the Saudi capital on Saturday, according to a letter addressed to parents and seen by Agence France-Presse.
The email stated that, in line with the directives of the Ministry of Education, all schools in Riyadh will move to distance learning throughout the week. This is the second time such a measure has been taken in the capital in less than a month.
The Saudi-led military coalition announced the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the Ansar Allah group in Al-Kharj Governorate, hours after it announced that a projectile had fallen in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, east of the Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the killing of 12 people, including four Saudis and eight residents of different nationalities, and the injury of 309 others, some of whom are in critical conditions, as a result of the attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The authority added that the attack caused material damage, which is being assessed, after it announced the temporary suspension of operational operations at the airport.
The Ansar Allah Houthi group had called on airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a “military operations area,” after the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an attack on the group on Monday.
US President Donald Trump described the attack as "unacceptable" and said that he would speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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Trump had said in previous statements that he would make a “quick” decision regarding the possibility of the United States joining Saudi Arabia in launching strikes against the Ansar Allah group in Yemen.
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The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, condemned the attacks launched by the group on Saudi civilian facilities, considering that they represent a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and complicates peace efforts in Yemen, calling on the group to stop them and respect international humanitarian law.
The attack also sparked condemnations from Arab and foreign countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Palestine, Lebanon, and Britain, in addition to the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other regional organizations, which affirmed their solidarity with Saudi Arabia and called for the protection of civilian facilities and the safety of air navigation.
The attack led to disruptions in air traffic, as Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and Kuwait Airways canceled flights to and from Riyadh, while Western embassies, including American, British, Canadian, German, and Spanish, warned their nationals against heading to the airport.
The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority reported receiving reports from ship captains regarding radio instructions to leave their anchorage sites near Ras Al Khaimah in the Emirates, without providing details of their reasons.
Doctors were called to hospitals in Riyadh on Saturday to deal with a “serious emergency,” according to what a medical source told AFP.
The source said: “Emergency doctors are being called to hospitals across Riyadh... We have been informed that we are dealing with a serious emergency,” adding, “The injured are being transported to hospitals across Riyadh, and many of them are in critical conditions.”
Western embassies in Saudi Arabia call on their nationals to stay away from Riyadh Airport
On Saturday, the embassies of Canada, Germany and Spain in Saudi Arabia called on their citizens to stay away from Riyadh International Airport, following reports that it had been attacked.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Saudi-led military coalition will announce a military operation in response to the attack within the next week
Likely · Within weeks
Schools in Riyadh will continue with distance education for more than a week if the threats continue
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Who specifically carried out the attack and what weapons were used?
- Will this attack lead to a military operation in response from Saudi Arabia and the coalition?
- What is the exact physical damage to the airport and when will it return to full operation?
- Will the United States take actual measures in response to the attack, as Trump suggested?
