Riyadh airport attack kills 12 and injures more than 300, Saudi authorities say
Saudi authorities said 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured at Riyadh’s airport, forcing a temporary halt to flights.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
A Riyadh airport attack on Saturday killed 12 people and injured more than 300 at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi civil aviation authorities said. The assault temporarily shut the airport’s operations, with flights diverted or cancelled, according to Reuters and The Associated Press.
Reuters reported that the latest official count put the number of wounded at 309. Some of those injured were in critical condition, and the Saudi statement said patients were being treated at several hospitals, AP reported.
What is known about the Riyadh airport attack?
The attack took place on Oct. 10 at the international airport serving the Saudi capital. An unnamed regional official told AP that a missile hit a complex containing domestic-flight terminals 3 and 4.
The reported death toll included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one person each from the United States, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities cited by AP and Reuters.
Saudi civil aviation authorities initially suspended operations through midnight, AP reported. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed flights being sent elsewhere, while Reuters reported that all flights had been diverted and the suspension was temporary.
Who has been blamed for the attack?
The Saudi-led military coalition blamed Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and said it would respond, Reuters reported. The civil-aviation statement detailing the deaths and injuries did not itself identify those responsible, according to AP.
There was no immediate statement from the Houthis after the attack, AP reported. The strike was the third reported attack that week on King Khalid International Airport, Reuters said.
The attacks have come amid increased fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Reuters reported that the Saudi-backed government began an offensive during the week to retake territory held by the Houthis, while the Saudi-led coalition has provided air support.
President Donald Trump said after the attack that the United States was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis. “We may. We’re going to look at it,” Trump told reporters, according to Reuters.
Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada, advised their citizens to avoid the airport, AP reported. Airlines had already suspended or cancelled some services to Riyadh and other Saudi airports before the latest strike, according to AP.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.