A day after an earlier attack killed 12 people, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has come under attack for two consecutive days A Pakistani national was killed and 11 others suffered injuries in this assualt.
Video footage from deadly strike shows Umrah pilgrims waiting to board their flights when an explosion causes panic in the airport. Passengers can be seen scrambling to escape as the blast disrupts the terminal.
The first attack on October 10 killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The strike on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others, the aviation authority said. The second attack also caused property damage, with officials assessing the extent of the destruction.
The repeated strikes have disrupted one of Saudi Arabia’s main aviation hubs. The attacks have been claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has threatened further action against Saudi airports and other transit facilities. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis has confirmed projectile strikes and interceptions near the airport.
Videos show panic
Footage from Saturday’s attack captures passengers preparing to board flights at the King Khalid International Airport when the explosion took plce. The blast sends passengers rushing for safety and leaves travellers waiting at the airport in confusion.
The attack was among the deadliest strikes on Saudi territory in more than a decade. The initial death toll included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals and citizens of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, according to the aviation authorities. The number of injured was reported at 309.
The airport had faced attacks earlier in the week. The October 10 strike followed two attacks on the same airport on Wednesday (October 7) and Thursday (October 8), according to Arab News and Al Jazeera. The earlier incidents also caused deaths and damage and disruption of airport operations.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for multiple attacks over the 24 hours leading into Sunday, including the strike on Riyadh airport. The group warned airlines, airport personnel and travellers against using Saudi airports, describing the kingdom’s transit hubs as a theatre of operations for its forces.
Riyadh airport shut for another 24 hours
The Saudi-led coalition said a projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, resulting into a fire. It also claimed that air defence systems intercepted a missile near the airport. Saudi authorities have not publicly established all the details of the projectile’s trajectory and impact.
The GACA confirmed the death of the Pakistani resident and said the 11 injured people were taken to several hospitals for medical treatment. The authority also confirmed damage to airport property and said officials were assessing the extent of the losses.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said on X that the airport’s closure had been extended by another 24 hours, until 2100 GMT on Monday (October 12). The suspension has disrupted air travel through Riyadh and left passengers uncertain about their departure and arrival schedules.
Residents also heard several explosions across the Saudi capital on Sunday. A resident of the Al-Arid neighbourhood in northern Riyadh described the force of the blast, “The sound startled the birds. The whole house shook.”
Dammam airport also targeted
The attacks have extended beyond the Saudi capital. The GACA had earlier confirmed an incident at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. The Houthis also claimed to have targeted the facility.
The incident followed an announcement by the Saudi-led coalition that a projectile had fallen nearby. It subsequently announced the interception of a drone in the eastern region.
The attacks are taking place during an intensification of the conflict involving the Houthis and forces backed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Riyadh has supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its fight against the group for years. The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, have targeted Saudi infrastructure during the latest escalation.
Saudi Arabia’s repeated airport closures have affected civilian aviation at a time when the kingdom serves as a major transit destination for international travellers and religious pilgrims. The latest attacks have also created further uncertainty for passengers travelling through Riyadh and Dammam.
