One killed, 11 injured in second Houthi strike on Riyadh airport

A second strike within two days has hit the international airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, resulting in one fatality and eleven injuries, according to official statements. A Saudi military spokesman reported that a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, sparking a fire in one of its passenger terminals. The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed on social media that a Pakistani resident was killed in this latest assault.

This incident follows a significantly deadlier strike on the very same airport just a day prior, which tragically claimed the lives of 13 people and left 308 others injured. The Houthis in Yemen immediately claimed responsibility for the weekend attacks, issuing explicit warnings to commercial airlines and passengers to avoid Saudi Arabian airports and airspace entirely. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, stated that the group targeted the facility using a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.

The Houthis have also claimed responsibility for attacks on oil facilities and the airport in Dammam, located in eastern Saudi Arabia. General Saree vowed that the group would continue their escalating military operations deep inside Saudi territory, warning that all airports in the country could be targeted, with the sole exceptions of those located in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The ongoing Houthi campaign is framed as retaliation against Saudi Arabia for its support of government forces in the protracted civil war in Yemen, as well as an alleged recent airstrike on the airport in Sanaa.

On Sunday, Major General Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, stated that air defenses had successfully intercepted a missile near the Riyadh airport while emergency authorities worked to extinguish the fire triggered by an unknown projectile hitting Passenger Hall No 4. The escalating violence has drawn sharp international condemnation and threats of retaliation from coalition partners.

United States President Donald Trump stated that Washington would make a decision and move very quickly regarding potential military action against the Houthis. Meanwhile, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting indicated that the United Kingdom could potentially provide additional support to bolster Saudi defenses. Saturday's strike marked the deadliest single attack on a Gulf Arab country since a wider regional conflict involving Israel, the US, and Iran began in February.

The Saudi-led coalition has strongly vowed to respond, categorizing the airport attacks as war crimes. The Saudi civil aviation authority released casualty details indicating that the victims of the preceding days' violence included nationals from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt. Additionally, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that an Indian national had succumbed to injuries sustained during the attacks.

Senior diplomats from Western nations have expressed outrage over the unfolding situation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the assaults and confirmed the death of a US citizen, while UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated he was appalled by the developments. In response to the heightened threat environment, the UK Foreign Office and other Western embassies have updated travel advisories, urging their citizens to exercise extreme caution or avoid non-essential travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, particularly areas near the border with Yemen.

Meanwhile, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that coalition forces had launched retaliatory airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, alongside a residential strike that allegedly killed a child and injured six people. Saudi authorities have not officially confirmed these reported strikes, and independent verification remains challenging. As regional tensions continue to mount, the safety of civil aviation and civilian infrastructure across the Arabian Peninsula remains under severe threat.