Houthi Attack on Riyadh Airport Kills 12, Injures 309

At least 12 people were killed and 309 wounded Saturday when a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi authorities announced. The dead included four Saudi nationals and eight foreigners — among them one U.S. citizen, two Bangladeshis, and one each from Egypt, Argentina, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. Several of the injured are in critical condition.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority suspended airport operations after the blast. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen blamed the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, calling the strike a "war crime" and vowing a decisive response. The Houthis later warned airlines, airport workers, and travelers to avoid Saudi airports, saying the kingdom bears responsibility for "failed de-escalation."

“What happened in Saudi Arabia is not acceptable.”

U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the attack as unacceptable and said he would soon speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He left open the possibility of U.S. military involvement alongside Saudi Arabia against the Houthis. The U.S. embassy in Riyadh urged American citizens to avoid the area.

British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps denounced the strike as a "dangerous escalation" and "absolutely condemnable action." Embassies of Canada, Germany, and Spain also warned their citizens to stay away from the airport. Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways cancelled flights to and from Riyadh citing safety concerns.

The attack marks the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since an Islamic State assault killed 15 people at a mosque in Abha in August 2015. Authorities are still assessing the extent of material damage at the airport.