Riyadh airport hit again: Pakistani resident killed, 11 wounded a day after deadliest Houthi strike on Saudi Arabia in a decade

Key takeaways

• A projectile hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, 11 October, starting a fire. One person, a Pakistani resident, was killed and 11 were wounded, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said.
• On Saturday, a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis on the same airport killed at least 12 people and wounded 309, according to the authority. Six Pakistanis were among the injured. Reuters, citing a later count, puts Saturday's toll at 13.
• Saudi Arabia also reported a strike on Dammam airport and said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards Khamis Mushait.
• Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye issued a joint statement backing "all legitimate measures" Riyadh takes against the attacks.
• Several Western embassies have told their citizens to avoid Riyadh airport. The name of the Pakistani who was killed has not been released.

What happened

According to AFP, reported by Dawn, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said a projectile struck King Khalid International Airport on Sunday and caused a fire. Reuters, reported by CNA, says the coalition named Terminal 4. The civil aviation authority said on X that one person, a Pakistani resident, died and 11 others were wounded.

It was the latest in a series of attacks on the airport. Three people were killed there on Thursday, and Saturday's strike was the deadliest attack on Saudi soil since a 2015 suicide bombing, AFP says. Saudi state television footage of Saturday's attack showed pilgrims queuing at a gate before a bright flash sent people running.

Late on Sunday, the civil aviation authority confirmed a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and said safety checks were under way. Early on Monday it said a Houthi ballistic missile heading for Khamis Mushait, which hosts a major military base, had been intercepted.

Saturday's toll

The civil aviation authority listed those killed on Saturday as four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, with 309 wounded. India's embassy later said one Indian citizen died on Sunday of injuries from Saturday's attack. A Western diplomat told AFP the official injury count may not include people with minor wounds.

Who claimed it

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech that the group carried out Saturday's attack and had also targeted Dammam airport and two Saudi Aramco facilities, Reuters reports. The Houthis warned people against using Saudi airports and said Saudi Arabia bears responsibility "for any failed interceptions". The group says Saudi Arabia carried out 124 air strikes in Yemen in 24 hours.

Pakistan's response

• Foreign Office: In a post on X, the Foreign Office condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and prayed for the recovery of the injured, including six Pakistanis. An earlier statement called the targeting of a civilian airport a "heinous act of terrorism".
• R4 joint statement: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye said they held the Houthis "fully accountable" and supported Saudi measures to "deter the sources of their threats".
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: On X he said he was "deeply saddened" that six Pakistanis were injured and that the embassy in Riyadh was helping the families. At a cabinet meeting he described threats to Saudi Arabia, especially Makkah and Madinah, as a "red line", The Express Tribune reports.

Wider reaction

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was ready to help start dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The UK advised against all but essential travel to Jeddah, Dammam and all Saudi airports except Medina, and US aviation authorities told American airlines to take care flying to or over the kingdom. In-person school classes in Riyadh moved online from Sunday to Thursday.

What it means for Pakistani travellers

October is usually the start of the busy Umrah season. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 said the closure of Riyadh airport was extended until 2100 GMT on Monday (2am PKT Tuesday). Anyone flying to or through Saudi Arabia should check with their airline before travelling and follow updates from Pakistan's embassy in Riyadh.

What to watch

• How and when Saudi Arabia responds; the coalition has promised to respond "decisively".
• Whether the US joins strikes on the Houthis.
• The name of the Pakistani victim and the condition of the six injured on Saturday.
• When Riyadh airport fully reopens.

This is a developing story. Figures may change as Saudi authorities release updates.