RIYADH, October 8, 2026 — Three civilians were killed and 36 injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on two Saudi international airports — Abha in the kingdom’s southwest and King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh — in the deadliest assault yet on Saudi aviation infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the attacks hit airport facilities at Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing damage and casualties. At Abha, two female residents — one Moroccan and one Algerian — were killed and 28 people were wounded, the authority reported. At Riyadh’s main airport, a Sudanese national was killed and eight people were injured, including five Saudi citizens.
Deadliest strikes yet on Saudi airports
The attacks mark the bloodiest escalation in a Houthi campaign that has repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and infrastructure since the war between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Iran-backed Houthis re-erupted in July.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile, saying the strike disrupted air traffic. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for the attack on Abha.
Coalition vows attacks ‘will not go unpunished’
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its air defences intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed the launch platform in the Yemeni capital Sanaa that had been used to attack the Saudi capital, according to coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki.
“The brutal attacks by the Terrorist Houthi Militia on civilians and civilian objects in the Kingdom, most recently targeting the two airports, will not go unpunished,” the coalition said in a statement.
It said its warplanes had struck and destroyed 82 “legitimate military targets” in Yemen in response, including mountain-based ballistic missile facilities, command-and-control centres, communications systems and Houthi gathering sites.
GACA said it was working “in full integration and continuous coordination with the relevant security authorities” to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers.
US issues security alert as escalation widens
The US Mission in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert on Wednesday warning American citizens of potential drone and missile attacks and possible flight disruptions, urging them to review their personal security plans.
The escalation comes as fighting inside Yemen intensifies on multiple fronts. Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, launched a major counteroffensive this week to retake territory seized by the Houthis, while the International Organisation for Migration said more than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest round of fighting began.
