12 people were killed and over 300 were injured, some in critical condition, Saudi authorities reported on Sunday morning. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia blamed the strike on the King Khalid International Airport on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. Observers agree: this is the deadliest attack on an Arab country in the Persian Gulf since the start of the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran. Saudi Arabia has supported government forces since the beginning of the conflict in Yemen. On Saturday, a missile struck the King Khalid International Airport complex, which houses terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, a local official reported. In a statement, Saudi Arabia indicated that among the dead were 4 Saudi citizens, as well as two Bangladeshi citizens, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, and a Sudanese. The injured are reported to be receiving treatment in several hospitals. On Saturday, the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority announced that airport operations were suspended at least until 9 PM on Sunday, according to the flight tracking platform Flightradar 24. According to the service, all flights to Riyadh were either redirected or canceled. The attack occurred two days after strikes on the Riyadh airport, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility. Three people were killed in that incident. Several eyewitnesses stated that people were being evacuated from King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, and the administration urged passengers to check the status of their flights. One witness reported hearing an explosion while waiting to board, while another said they saw an explosion that injured people. "I was at gate 403 in the domestic terminal," said one witness. "I saw the strike at gate 401; I saw the injured right in front of me. Everyone started to run." The embassies of the U.S., Canada, Germany, and Spain in Saudi Arabia advised their citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to the airport following reports of the attack. Kuwait Airways announced that it canceled two flights to and from the Saudi capital, citing "security situation." "Kuwait Airways reports that flights KU775 from Kuwait to Riyadh and KU776 from Riyadh to Kuwait today, Saturday, October 10, 2026, have been canceled due to the airport closure related to the security situation," the statement posted online said. A number of airlines, including Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group, and Pakistan International Airlines, suspended flights to and from Saudi airports following the attack on Thursday. The Houthis warned international airlines of possible consequences if they continued to operate flights in Saudi airspace. Airports, oil facilities, and tankers in Saudi Arabia are regularly targeted by Houthi attacks amid the ongoing escalation of hostilities in Yemen between the rebels and government forces backed by Riyadh.
