Houthis Hit 2 Saudi Airports as Saudi Strikes Sanaa After 12 Killed in Riyadh
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 11
Houthis Hit 2 Saudi Airports as Saudi Strikes Sanaa After 12 Killed in Riyadh
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 11
Summary
King Khalid airport in Riyadh and King Fahd airport in Dammam were struck Sunday, with Saudi authorities reporting a fire, injuries and fresh damage assessments underway.
The new attacks followed Saturday’s Houthi strike on Riyadh airport that killed at least 12 and wounded hundreds, the kingdom’s deadliest attack in more than a decade.
Sanaa’s international airport was hit in Saudi retaliation, Houthi-run media said, while the Houthi health ministry reported a child killed in a strike on a residential building.
Saudi airstrikes have killed 91 people since Sept. 3, according to a Houthi health ministry spokesman, as the militia’s increasingly bold attacks on Saudi infrastructure deepen the escalation.
With Saudi air defenses pushed to the breaking point, could Houthi control of the Red Sea permanently cripple global shipping routes?
As cruise missiles bypass strained defenses to strike Riyadh, is the Middle East on the brink of an uncontrollable regional war?
Beyond the devastating civilian toll, how will the weaponization of a critical global shipping chokepoint rewrite international trade rules?
Deadliest Attack in a Decade: 12 Killed, 309 Injured in Riyadh Airport Strike as Yemen War Spills Into Saudi Arabia
Overview
On October 10, 2026, after Saudi warplanes launched intense airstrikes in Yemen, Houthi rebels retaliated with a deadly missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds. This strike triggered immediate airport closures, mass flight cancellations by major airlines, and a shift to remote learning in Riyadh schools. Foreign governments issued urgent travel warnings, while the Saudi-led coalition responded with airstrikes on Houthi targets. The crisis escalated further as Houthi forces tightened maritime blockades and seized key Red Sea ports, disrupting global trade and causing widespread displacement and humanitarian hardship across Yemen.