Missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12; Saudi-led coalition vows decisive response

An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, has killed 12 people and wounded 309, officials said on Sunday. The Saudi-led coalition, which has militarily backed Yemen's government since 2015, blamed the Iran-backed Houthi movement and vowed a decisive response. A diplomatic source attributed the attack to a missile. It is the deadliest strike on Saudi soil in more than a decade, and it raises the prospect of a wider escalation.

Casualties and impact

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said the dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one citizen each of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Palestinian territories and Sudan. Some of the wounded are in serious condition. Two doctors said several pilgrims heading to Mecca were among those hurt. Airport operations were suspended and damage assessments are continuing. Health officials activated a rare mass call-up of doctors. One passenger described seeing the strike hit in the domestic terminal and injured people in front of him.

Schools in Riyadh are moving to remote learning for a full week, the second such switch in a month.

Coalition and US response

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki called the attack a war crime. The coalition also said it had intercepted missiles and destroyed launch platforms. The Houthis claimed attacks on the airport on Thursday that killed three people, but did not immediately claim responsibility for the latest strikes.

Asked whether he might join Saudi strikes on the group, Trump replied: "We may." He said he would speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and reaffirmed his country's commitment to Saudi security under their defence pact. The US, Canadian, German and Spanish embassies warned citizens to avoid the airport.

Situation in Yemen

Yemen's civil war reignited in July when a four-year, UN-brokered truce collapsed. Saudi-backed government forces are advancing against the Houthis near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key chokepoint for Red Sea shipping. The Houthis say they repelled the attacks. Claims by the warring sides cannot be independently verified.