Saudi coalition details deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport in October
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels reported that the Houthis launched 20 attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport between October 1 and 11, 2026. The assaults, involving drones and missiles, killed 17 people and wounded 333. The coalition highlighted the Houthis' acquisition of advanced weaponry with regional support and efforts to target multiple Saudi airports and facilities.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-10-01
Between October 1 and 11, 2026, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched 20 attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, according to Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
The attacks involved 10 drones, four ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles, and two unidentified projectiles, resulting in 17 deaths and 333 injuries at the civilian airport, which is protected under international humanitarian law.
Specific attacks included one death and eight injuries on October 7; three deaths and five injuries on October 8; and 12 deaths and 309 injuries on October 10. An additional strike on Terminal 3 on October 11 caused one death and 11 injuries.
Al-Maliki accused the Houthi militias of acquiring advanced weapons technology with help from regional parties, making them the first terrorist group to possess ballistic missiles, attack and suicide drones, and fast boats.
The coalition also reported that the Houthis attempted attacks on several other Saudi airports, oil facilities, and ports, and that coalition forces destroyed missile storage sites and warehouses in Houthi-controlled mountainous areas around Sanaa.
Other attacks included strikes on Abha International Airport on October 7, killing two foreign nationals and wounding 28; a strike on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan on October 5, wounding three; and attacks on Najran and King Fahd International Airports causing no casualties.