Houthi missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12, wounds 309

· Security · Saudi Arabia · Yemen

A Houthi missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, Saudi authorities said, making it the deadliest strike on the kingdom in more than a decade. Witnesses reported a blast and shattered glass falling on passengers; an Egyptian flight attendant was among the dead. All flights were diverted and operations halted before resuming. The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a war crime and pledged a decisive response, while health officials activated a rare mass call-up of doctors. The strike was the third on the airport in a week, since the coalition began an offensive against the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

Why it matters：The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis threatens to widen Yemen's war, drag in regional powers and disrupt aviation and shipping across the Gulf.

Key points

  • An Egyptian flight attendant was among the 12 dead, a hospital source said.
  • The missile hit without warning, with no alert from the threat warning system.
  • The Saudi-led coalition called the attack a 'war crime' and vowed a decisive response.

Sources (original reporting)

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