Riyadh airport evacuated and flights halted after fresh attack
Air traffic has been suspended at King Khalid International Airport after loud blasts triggered evacuations and an emergency response.
Escalation in Riyadh
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been evacuated and air traffic suspended following a new attack on Saturday, according to regional officials. Loud explosions rocked the Saudi capital, prompting an immediate emergency response as fighting between Saudi-led coalition forces and Yemen's Houthi rebels continues to escalate.
Witnesses in Riyadh reported hearing at least two major blasts. More than a dozen ambulances were seen rushing towards the airport, while airport authorities issued a brief notice advising passengers to check flight statuses with their airlines prior to travel. Saudi authorities have not yet commented publicly on the incident or confirmed any casualties from Saturday's strike.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, though it comes during an intense series of strikes targeting Saudi infrastructure.
A week of repeated strikes
Saturday's explosion marks the latest in a rapid succession of attacks aimed at the principal aviation hub in the Saudi capital. Just two days earlier, three Saudi nationals, including a commercial pilot, were killed in strikes on the facility.
An earlier attack on Wednesday left one Sudanese national dead and eight other people wounded. Further strikes on 6 and 7 October against two other Saudi airports claimed another three lives.
The Iran-backed Houthis had claimed responsibility for the earlier bombardments this week, stating that the strikes were in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes and an ongoing blockade.
Escalating regional conflict
The repeated strikes on King Khalid International Airport follow a major military offensive launched by the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi forces in Yemen. Fighting between Yemeni government forces, backed by the coalition, and Houthi fighters has intensified along strategic stretches of the Red Sea coast.
An informal truce brokered in 2022 unravelled in July, when the Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and resumed missile and drone attacks on airports, oil facilities, and shipping lanes.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday attack fatalities | 3 killed | Saudi and regional officials |
| Wednesday attack casualties | 1 killed, 8 wounded | Regional officials |
| Early October airport casualties | 3 killed | Saudi authorities |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Riyadh | The capital city of Saudi Arabia where the attack occurred. |
| Houthis | The Yemeni rebel group carrying out strikes against Saudi targets. |
| Saudi Arabia | The country targeted by the missile and drone strikes. |
| King Khalid International Airport | The targeted airport in Riyadh that was evacuated. |
