Riyadh, October 11 (TNA) A missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital killed at least 12 people and injured 309 others on Saturday, Saudi civil aviation authorities said. The strike was described as the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began.
The victims included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi nationals and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. Some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
The missile struck a complex housing Terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, regional officials said. The terminals suffered structural damage, while airport operations were suspended and flights were diverted following the attack.
A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen for the strike. The Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia amid an escalation in fighting involving the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
Saturday’s strike was reportedly the third attack on Riyadh’s international airport within a week. Earlier attacks had killed four people and damaged an aircraft, further disrupting air travel in the region.
The latest attack triggered condemnation and renewed calls for stronger security measures around Saudi airports. Western governments also advised their citizens to avoid the affected area as authorities continued rescue operations and assessed the damage.