International media are reporting another ballistic missile attack that hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. According to preliminary information, Terminal 4 was struck by the missile, starting a fire that firefighters are trying to bring under control.
The latest suspected incident occurred just one day after a devastating attack that killed 12 people and injured more than 300 others.
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Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have issued direct threats against Saudi Arabia’s aviation infrastructure, calling on airlines, employees and passengers to avoid the country’s airports and airspace.
The warning signals a new stage of escalation in the conflict between Iran-backed Yemeni rebels and Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari had earlier declared that the kingdom’s airports and airspace were now “exposed to attacks” and constituted a “theater of operations” for their forces. He made an exception only for the airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
“Airport for airport, blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation,” the Houthi spokesman concluded his statement, urging the public to take the warning seriously.
The latest threat comes after the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where 12 people were killed and 309 others injured, some of them seriously. The victims included four Saudi nationals, two from Bangladesh, and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan and Palestine. It was considered one of the deadliest attacks to hit Saudi Arabia in a decade.
In Sunday’s statement, the Houthis did not clearly claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack. However, the group had previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks at the same airport during the week, while Saudi authorities attributed the latest attack to the Yemeni rebels.
Saturday’s attack was not an isolated incident. On October 8, the same airport was hit by two attacks that killed three Saudis, one of which struck an aircraft operated by Saudia. Other attacks had also been recorded in previous days at other airports, including Abha airport.
Just hours after the deadly attack, Saudi air defenses announced that they had intercepted another ballistic missile southeast of Riyadh, in the area where Prince Sultan Air Base is located.
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government condemned the attack and vowed retaliation. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesman for the coalition forces, said the attack on the airport’s passenger terminal constituted a war crime under international humanitarian law.
“The attack on King Khalid International Airport is a terrorist act and will face a strong response,” Al-Maliki said in a statement published on Platform X and carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He described the attack, which he attributed to the Houthis, as an “outright war crime” under international humanitarian law and customary norms, condemning it as an act that violates fundamental principles and values.
In the same context, Yemen’s government forces reported that warplanes had struck Houthi positions, groups of fighters and vehicles in the al-Makrami, al-Jaisha and al-Salal hills east of the city of Taiz, as well as al-Muhaf fortress and the Balan area south of Taiz.
Seven airstrikes were also recorded north of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, which is controlled by the Houthis.
BBC points out that the significance of the latest attacks goes beyond the direct human and material losses. The British network’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, noted that the kingdom is facing one of the most serious threats to its internal security since the era of the al-Qaeda insurgency in the mid-2000s.
The main challenge for Riyadh is that the Houthis now appear to have shifted pressure onto infrastructure that is critical to the country’s economy and international image. The capital’s largest airport, energy facilities and air links are targets with a far greater economic and psychological impact than a purely military strike. According to the BBC’s analysis, the material damage can be repaired, but Saudi Arabia’s image as a safe and stable destination for business and tourism is being damaged.
The successive attacks have already caused significant disruption to air transport. Airlines including Kuwait Airways, Etihad and Qatar Airways have canceled flights to and from Riyadh, while travelers have been asked to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
The tension has also begun to directly affect daily life in the Saudi capital.
Saudi authorities have temporarily moved Riyadh’s schools to remote learning, while King Khalid Airport faced extended operational restrictions after the attack.
The new phase of the conflict is linked to the resurgence of fighting in Yemen. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and most of the country’s territory, have intensified attacks against Saudi Arabia following the resumption of clashes with the internationally recognized government forces supported by Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has increased airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. On Saturday, Saudi fighter jets repeatedly struck Sanaa airport, according to Yemeni media.
This logic of reciprocal attacks is reflected in the organization’s latest warning, which appears aimed at making the cost of Saudi military actions felt inside the kingdom, particularly against infrastructure of international importance.
Another critical issue is Saudi Arabia’s ability to defend itself against the large number of missiles and drones. According to international reports, Riyadh has asked the United States and other Western allies for more interceptor missiles, as the continuing attacks are putting pressure on available air defense stocks.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said he was considering American support for Saudi operations against the Houthis, a development that could open a new front for the United States in the Middle East.
The attack in Riyadh has provoked international outrage. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as a “dangerous escalation,” warning that attacks on critical infrastructure could disrupt global transport and energy supplies.
Britain, Germany and Iraq also condemned the attack, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” and warned that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.
The main concern is no longer limited to another episode in the war in Yemen. The Houthis’ threat to target almost all Saudi airports brings the conflict to the heart of international aviation and one of the world’s largest energy economies.
Meanwhile, Etihad Airways and flydubai are canceling additional flights to Saudi Arabia, as air transport disruptions continue following the attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
At the same time, flydubai announced that its flights to Riyadh and Abha have been canceled until October 14. The company said it continues to monitor the situation and urged passengers to check their flight status before traveling to airports.
