A renewed Houthi assault hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, killing one Pakistani national and injuring 11 others. This incident marks the second strike against the facility in 48 hours and follows a devastating attack on Saturday that claimed at least a dozen lives and forced the temporary suspension of airport operations.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Yemeni rebels confirmed that a projectile struck the airport, igniting a fire, while air defense systems intercepted a missile in the vicinity. Authorities subsequently extended the airport’s closure by an additional 24 hours, with operations expected to remain halted until 2100 GMT on Monday.
The Iran-backed Houthi group claimed responsibility for multiple attacks over the past 24 hours, explicitly designating Saudi transit hubs as “a theatre of operations.” The group also reported targeting Dammam airport in the eastern region, where the coalition later reported shooting down a drone following a reported nearby projectile impact.
Saturday’s attack, described by the anti-Houthi coalition as a “full-fledged war crime,” remains the deadliest incident on Saudi soil in over a decade. The casualties included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan, with 309 individuals wounded. Additionally, one Indian national died on Sunday from injuries sustained the previous day.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos near Terminal 3, reporting that injured survivors, some missing limbs, fled the area covered in blood. The severity of the casualties prompted health officials to activate a rare mass recall of doctors.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority stated that radar and communications equipment were damaged and that runways require assessment before they can safely reopen. Property damage is currently being evaluated.
The escalation has drawn sharp condemnation internationally. United Nations officials and world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, denounced the strikes. Trump indicated he was considering direct military involvement against the Houthis, while Netanyahu labeled the event a horrific terrorist attack.
Security analyst Thomas Juneau of Ottawa University noted that while Saudi air defenses have intercepted some Houthi missiles and drones, the vast size of the kingdom makes consistent defense nearly impossible. He suggested the Houthis are now attempting to inflict upon Saudi Arabia the kind of strikes the kingdom has historically carried out in Yemen.
The attacks coincide with a sensitive period for Saudi Arabia. The weekend violence occurred just before the start of the kingdom’s major entertainment and convention season and ahead of the Umrah pilgrimage period, which typically sees millions of Muslims travel to Mecca.
On the ground in Yemen, Saudi-supported government forces are pressing a counter-offensive near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a critical shipping route. While military sources claim advances, the Houthis assert they have repelled the attacks. Independent verification of these claims remains difficult due to restricted journalist access and the rapidly evolving situation.
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