Pilgrims Injured as Houthi Missile Hits Riyadh Airport Terminal
A Houthi missile struck a departure hall at Riyadh airport, killing 13 and wounding hundreds, including many pilgrims heading to Mecca.
A missile launched by Yemen's Houthi forces hit the departure terminal of Riyadh airport, causing 13 fatalities and injuring roughly 300 people, many of whom were pilgrims in white garb en route to Mecca for umrah. Saudi media identified a Bangladeshi imam heading a pilgrim group as one of the dead. The Houthis have pledged not to strike the holy cities of Mecca and Medina but persist in targeting other Saudi air hubs as retaliation for Saudi actions in Yemen.
Pilgrims like Jordanian resident Fadi Anwar expressed deep anxiety over repeated security alerts, while Sudanese visitor Al Amin Hassan Mohammed described being forced onto the streets after the blast. The broader conflict has led Saudi Arabia to suspend numerous flights, prompting travelers to seek alternative routes through Bahrain, Qatar or Dubai, and causing disruptions for businesses, embassies and tourism.
Why it matters
Pilgrims and travelers face heightened danger and travel disruptions due to the ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi airports.
How this story developed
- Oct 5 Yemeni government troops capture key positions on Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Oct 11 Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority says 12 people were killed and 309 injured in a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid airport.
- Oct 11 He also named King Fahd Airport in Dammam, an Aramco‑affiliated petrol station and a refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region as targets.
- Oct 11 A second projectile hit the airport a day after the missile strike, raising the death toll to 13.
- Oct 12 A Pakistani national died in the latest projectile strike.
- Oct 12 The Omani embassy thanked Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to an injured Omani doctor.
- Oct 12 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey demanded an immediate and unconditional halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Oct 12 Saudi officials announced the continued closure of King Khalid International Airport pending safety inspections.
- Oct 12 Saudi authorities have extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport until Saturday after renewed Houthi missile and drone strikes, prompting airlines to cancel flights to and from Riyadh.
- Oct 12 Airport shutdown extended to Oct 17 for safety checks.
- Oct 13 Delta postponed its inaugural Atlanta‑Riyadh flight.
- Oct 13 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported hitting a supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oct 13 Saudi civil defence alerts stopped operating before the attacks, leaving no public warnings.
- Oct 14 The coalition struck Sanaa’s al‑Suhaba fuel facility and warned nearby residents to evacuate.
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