Houthi missile strike kills 13 at Riyadh airport, flights suspended
Updated 3 weeks ago8 new reports, including Fox News (video), Bloomberg, Al Jazeera and 5 more.
The short version
A Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300. Saudi Arabia suspended all flights to and from the airport until the following Saturday.
On Saturday, Houthi militants fired missiles at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.1,2 The attack killed 13 people and injured more than 300.1,3 Saudi authorities suspended all flights to and from Riyadh until the following Saturday.1,2
Gulf Air and other airlines had already cancelled flights to Riyadh pending the suspension.1 Saudi state television broadcast footage of passengers in the terminal as a missile struck, showing smoke and falling masonry.1 The Saudi military said it was fending off drone and missile attacks during the weekend.2
The Houthi militia is backed by Iran and has been launching attacks from Yemen since 2015.2,6 A separate missile attack on Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran caused a fire in part of the complex.7 Saudi officials said the attacks were part of a broader campaign to disrupt the kingdom’s infrastructure.3
The United States has provided intelligence cooperation and has about 200 advisers in Saudi Arabia but has not directly engaged in combat.4
“Energy minister says ‘fear has no place in the Saudi lexicon’”
Why it matters
The Houthi movement is an Iran-backed militia in Yemen that has been launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets since 2015.2,6
King Khalid International Airport is Riyadh’s main international airport and the second busiest in Saudi Arabia.1
Saudi Arabia has been attempting to transform its economy under Vision 2030, but attacks threaten its megaprojects.5
Edit history(1 earlier versions)
- v1 → v2Replaced 3 weeks ago
8 new reports, including Fox News (video), Bloomberg, Al Jazeera and 5 more.
Headline: Houthi missile strike kills 13 at Riyadh airport, flights suspended
Added A Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
Added Saudi Arabia suspended all flights to and from the airport until the following Saturday.
Removed Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh airport, killing 13 people and injuring more than 300.
Removed Saudi authorities suspended all flights to and from the airport until next Saturday.
This story is updated in place as more outlets report it, so it keeps one address. Each earlier version is kept here rather than overwritten.
This account was written from the 7 reports listed below, filed by 7 independent outlets, and checked against them line by line. It is not a copy of any one of them. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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