Riyadh, October 12,2026: A Pakistani national was killed and 11 others wounded in a fresh Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, prompting Saudi authorities to extend the suspension of airport operations amid escalating attacks by the Yemeni group.
The attack came a day after another deadly strike claimed by the Houthis forced authorities to suspend airport operations, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed the latest casualties in a statement on X, while the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis reported that a projectile struck the airport and sparked a fire. Air defenses also intercepted a missile in the vicinity.
According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, the airport closure was extended for another 24 hours until 2100 GMT on Monday.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for multiple attacks over the preceding 24 hours, including strikes targeting Riyadh airport. The group also threatened to continue targeting Saudi Arabia’s transport hubs.
Residents and AFP journalists reported hearing multiple explosions across the Saudi capital on Sunday. One resident of the Al-Aarid neighbourhood said the blasts shook the house and sent birds into a frenzy.
The Saudi civil aviation authority also reported an attack on Dammam airport in the eastern part of the kingdom. The Saudi-led coalition subsequently said it had intercepted a drone in the region.
Early Monday, the coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile heading towards Khamis Mushait, a southern Saudi city that hosts a major military base.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking with his Saudi counterpart, warned that continuing to rely on military action while disregarding political solutions would further complicate the situation, according to Iranian state media.
Araghchi said Tehran was ready to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to help achieve a political settlement.
The Houthis have intensified attacks on Riyadh airport, Saudi oil facilities and shipping in the Red Sea. A previous attack on Thursday also reportedly killed three people at the airport.
The anti-Houthi coalition condemned Saturday’s attack as a “full-fledged war crime” and vowed a decisive response.
The latest violence follows a deadly attack on Saturday that killed 14 people, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority. The victims included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, one American, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian, one Sudanese and two other foreign nationals whose identities were reported separately. The authority also reported 309 injuries.
The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia separately confirmed that one of its citizens died on Sunday after being wounded in Saturday’s attack.
The United Nations and several international leaders condemned Saturday’s violence. US President Donald Trump said he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
Meanwhile, Houthi media reported Saudi strikes in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Sanaa governorate on Sunday. A spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry claimed that one civilian was killed and five others wounded.
The United States, Canada, Germany and Spain have warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh airport. Australia also condemned the Houthi attacks as unacceptable and urged its citizens in Saudi Arabia to remain indoors and shelter in place.
Saudi Arabia has led an international coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2015.
On the ground in Yemen, military sources said government forces were advancing in a counteroffensive against the Houthis near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic maritime passage. The Houthis, however, claimed to have repelled the offensive.
The claims made by the opposing sides could not be independently verified, as fighting continued and access for journalists remained difficult.
