Airport strike in Riyadh kills 12, Saudi coalition vows 'decisive' response
A deadly attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people, marking a significant escalation in the Yemen conflict. The Saudi-led coalition has vowed a decisive response after Houthi rebels threatened further strikes on Saudi airspace.
Why it matters
This event represents a major intensification of the regional conflict, threatening stability in the world's largest crude oil exporting nation.
The attack prompted Saudi health officials to activate a rare mass call-up of doctors to deal with the "serious emergency", a medical source said.
Cars drive past the gates of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sep 19, 2026. (Photo: AFP/-)
SANAA, Yemen: Yemen's Houthis issued a new threat to Saudi Arabia's airspace on Sunday (Oct 11) after an attack on the kingdom's international airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded hundreds.
Saturday's attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, was a sharp escalation in the Yemen war, where Riyadh backs the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who captured swathes of Red Sea coastline in a lightning offensive last month.
While the Houthis stopped short of claiming the strike, they threatened new attacks on the kingdom's airports, except for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, warning passengers not to travel.
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