Attack on the airport in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: there are casualties

Attack on the airport in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: there are casualties

Author, News Department

Place of work, BBC Russian Service

Published 2 minutes ago

Reading time: 2 min

Saudi authorities say several people were injured in another attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh; this happened several days after Yemen's Houthis announced attacks on this facility.

The country's Civil Aviation Authority noted that the number of casualties from Saturday's attack was being determined, adding that airport operations were "temporarily suspended pending the completion of damage assessments and security checks."

“On Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2026, Riyadh airport came under attack amid ongoing attacks on the kingdom's civil aviation facilities,” the statement said. — Several people were injured as a result of the attack; The exact number of wounded is being clarified."

An AFP diplomatic source said the missile attack on the airport was carried out by Yemen's Houthis, although they themselves did not claim an attack. Last Thursday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on the airport that killed three people and damaged a plane.

Some foreign embassies, even before official confirmation from the authorities, urged their citizens to avoid visiting the airport and its surrounding areas. In particular, this was done by the US Embassy.

An eyewitness who was at the airport waiting to board a flight said he heard an explosion, while another said he witnessed an impact that caused panic among passengers.

"I was at gate 403 in the domestic terminal," he told AFP. “I saw the impact hit gate 401 and saw the wounded right in front of me. Everyone started running."

A medical source told AFP that Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health had ordered emergency department doctors to be called to hospitals in the capital to treat the injured.

“We were told we were dealing with a 'major emergency'. The wounded are being transported to hospitals throughout Riyadh,” the source said, adding that many of them are in critical condition.

Another source at one of the local hospitals said five people injured at the airport were in intensive care, and "dozens" of people were injured in total.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers since a truce in the long-running conflict with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government collapsed in July.

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