Riyadh airport hit in missile attack, dozens injured; 5 in intensive care

Multiple people were injured in a missile attack at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh international airport in Saudi Arabia. Operations at the airport were temporarily suspended after the attack, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority. Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack, but it came amid an escalation of missile attacks between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Riyadh airport "was targeted in an attack on Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2026, amid continued attacks targeting the kingdom's civil aviation facilities", the statement reads. "The attack left several people injured, with the number still being assessed." According to a source at the local hospital quoted by AFP, five people are in intensive care, with "dozens of people injured" in all.

A witness waiting to board a flight at the airport said they heard an explosion, while another reported seeing a strike that injured people and triggered a panicked rush to flee.

"I was on gate 403" at the domestic terminal, the witness told AFP. "I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running."

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A medical source told AFP that the health ministry had directed emergency department doctors to report to hospitals across the capital on Saturday to treat the injured.

"We were told we are dealing with a 'serious emergency situation'. Injured are being moved to hospitals across Riyadh", with many in critical condition, the source said.

The attack came as Yemen's internationally recognised government claims to have mounted a successful offensive to retake the Bab al-Mandeb strait from Houthi rebels, but accounts vary as to whether the push has been repelled.

Foreign embassies in Saudi Arabia- Britain, Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States have warned their citizens to avoid Riyadh's international airport and obey local security instructions.

"The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 and strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas," the embassy said in a statement posted online.