October 2026 King Khalid International Airport attacks
2026 missile attack in Saudi Arabia
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Between 7 and 10 October 2026, the Houthis in Yemen launched a series of ballistic missile attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 16 people and injuring over 300, leading to the suspension of the airport's operations.[1][2] They were the deadliest attacks in Saudi Arabia since the Qatif and Dammam mosque bombings in May 2015 and the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab state since the beginning of the 2026 Iran war.[3]
| October 2026 King Khalid International Airport attacks | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2026 Iran war, 2026 Yemen offensives, and Houthi–Saudi conflict | |
  King Khalid International Airport | |
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 7–10 October 2026 |
| Target | King Khalid International Airport |
Attack type | Ballistic missile attack |
| Deaths | 1 killed (Oct 7) 3 killed (Oct 8) 12 killed (Oct 10) |
| Injured | 8 injured (Oct 7) 10+ injured (Oct 8) 309+ injured (Oct 10) |
| Perpetrators |  Houthis |
Background
Saudi Arabia has bombed the Houthi-held capital city of Sanaa several times during the course of the Yemeni civil war as part of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.[4][5] This included an attack on Sanaa International Airport on 13 July 2026 to prevent an unauthorized Iranian plane from landing as part of the 2026 Iran war, reigniting the Houthi–Saudi conflict and prompting the Houthis to impose a blockade on Saudi Arabia and launch the 2026 Yemen offensives.[6][7]
Saudi Arabia was expected to host visitors in Riyadh for major global events in October 2026, including the WPC Energy Congress on 11 October[8] but the Houthi strike disrupted operations at all major airports.[9] Other planned events include the Future Investment Initiative Institute's annual summit,[2] and the WWE Crown Jewel professional wrestling event as part of Vision 2030 in November.[10]
Attacks
On 7 October 2026, a combined missile and drone attack killed one Sudanese national and injured eight civilians at King Khalid International Airport. On the same day, the Abha International Airport was also attacked, killing two women from Algeria and Morocco and wounding 28 other people.[11]
On 8 October 2026, two attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia Airbus A321-200 aircraft during an escalation of fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said three Saudi citizens, including a Saudia pilot, were killed and several people "of different nationalities" were wounded; it said the first attack hit airport facilities and the second hit the aircraft, destroying it.[12] The Houthis claimed they had fired a ballistic missile at the airport.[13] Hundreds of flights were canceled after the attacks, and airlines including Air India, Lufthansa, and Pakistan International Airlines suspended service to Riyadh.[14] Airport operations returned to normal the following day.[15]
On 10 October, the Houthis carried out another ballistic missile strike on the airport, hitting a complex containing terminals 3 and 4.[16] Twelve people were killed, including four Saudis, two nationals from Bangladesh, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt. Another 309 people were injured and airport operations were suspended again.[17]
Reactions
Saudi Arabia
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki called the Houthi attack on 10 October a "full-fledged war crime" and a "cowardly terrorist attack by the terrorist Houthi militia" which "resulted in deaths and injuries among civilian passengers and airport staff," vowing to "respond decisively to this terrorist attack in accordance with the Customary International Humanitarian Law."[18][19]
Houthis
Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti claimed Houthi responsibility for the attacks and said they were in retaliation for Saudi strikes on civilian infrastructure in Yemen, claiming that the Houthis carried out the attacks "so that the world understands that airports, seaports, wedding and mourning halls, hospitals, and markets in Yemen are civilian facilities that must not be targeted or harmed — and that the same rules that apply to these facilities in Yemen must also apply to their counterparts everywhere else."[2] Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree issued a warning to all airline companies to not use Saudi airports, stating that the Houthis "reiterate their warning against using Saudi airports and airspace" as "they are potential targets and sites for operation by our forces."[20]
United States
United States President Donald Trump condemned the attack as "terrible" said the U.S. would "make a decision" about possibly intervening in the conflict,[2] adding that he "will be speaking" to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.[21] Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the "reprehensible attacks" on the airport, as well as other Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, noting that a U.S. citizen had been killed.[18][21]
United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned "Saturday's lethal attack by the Houthis" and said he was "deeply shocked" by the incident, adding that attacks on civilian infrastructure violated international law and "must cease immediately." UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said the attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia constituted "a grave escalation" and poses "a serious threat to regional security, perpetuates cycles of violence, and complicate even more peace efforts for Yemen."[21]
Others
The attacks were additionally condemned by Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Germany, India,[22] Iraq, Israel,[23] Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates,[24] the United Kingdom, and Yemen.[25][18][26][27][28]