Riyadh, Oct 11 (V7N)- At least 12 people, including two Bangladeshis, were killed and 309 others injured in an attack attributed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Riyadh’s international airport, Reuters reported, citing Saudi authorities.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said on Saturday that the fatalities included four Saudi nationals and one citizen each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, alongside the two Bangladeshis. The latest reported toll put the number of injured at 309, with some reportedly in critical condition.
According to people familiar with the situation, ambulances and helicopters transported the injured to hospitals, placing emergency facilities under significant pressure.
The attack was reported to be the third Houthi strike targeting King Khalid International Airport this week. Two earlier attacks reportedly killed four people, while a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the runway sustained heavy damage.
The incident prompted authorities to divert all flights to Riyadh on Saturday and temporarily close the airport, according to the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority. The attack also raised questions about the effectiveness of the country’s air-defence and warning systems, as reports indicated that no alert had been issued beforehand.
The incident comes as Saudi Arabia continues airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi-led military coalition has pledged to respond to the latest attacks. Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government say they have carried out hundreds of strikes on Houthi-controlled areas.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have alleged that Saudi-led attacks have killed civilians, including women and children. Those claims have not been independently verified.
Following the airport attack, a Houthi media official claimed in a post on X that the group had “closed Riyadh International Airport.” The Houthis also declared Saudi airspace a military operation zone after Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched an offensive against them on Monday, urging commercial aircraft to avoid the area.
Asked whether the United States might participate in strikes against the Houthis, US President Donald Trump said Washington would consider the possibility.
“We can do that. We will look into it. We have just received the latest attack. So we will make a decision on it. We will act very quickly,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack, saying it demonstrated “a gross disregard for the lives of innocent civilians.”
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