Riyadh Airport Hit Again, Officials Say at Least 12 Killed, as Trump Says US "May" Join Strikes on Houthis

Since the Houthis began striking Saudi airports on Oct. 6 and 7, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has now been hit at least three more times, and today's attack, on Saturday, Oct. 10, is the worst yet.

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said operations were suspended after the afternoon strike and that officials were assessing damage and counting the injured. More than a dozen ambulances were seen heading to the terminal.

Casualty counts do not match

The death toll is not confirmed by Saudi authorities. Three officials briefed on the strike told the New York Times that at least 12 people were killed and about 50 injured. That would make it the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the war involving Iran began in February.

The injury figures vary widely. An Iraqi pro-militia outlet put the wounded at 45. A hospital source told AFP that dozens were hurt, and five people were in intensive care at King Fahad hospital. The Guardian reported more than 300 injured and attributed the 12-death figure to the Saudi aviation authority. The authority's own statement, as relayed elsewhere, mentioned only "a number of injuries."

A witness in the domestic terminal told AFP he saw gate 401 struck and "injured [people] in front of my eyes." "Everyone was running," he said.

A medical source told AFP doctors had been told to report to hospitals to deal with a "serious emergency situation."

Who is behind it

A diplomatic source told AFP the Iran-backed Houthis carried out the attack. Reports differ on whether the group has formally claimed it. The New York Post reported a claim, with the Houthis citing retaliation for Saudi bombing inside Yemen. Al Jazeera's correspondent said earlier in the day that no claim had been made.

The Houthis' stated position is that they are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for Yemeni government forces in the civil war. The group has also warned airlines that any aircraft in Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina, is a target.

A projectile also fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in the east, according to the Saudi-led coalition. Dammam had become the main alternative to Riyadh during the recent attacks.

A week of strikes

This is the third round on the capital's airport in days. The Saudi aviation authority said three Saudis, including a pilot, were killed in two attacks on Thursday. Other accounts put the toll from this week's earlier strikes at four, and an aircraft was badly damaged.

The Saudi aviation authority described the latest strike as part of "ongoing blatant attacks targeting civil aviation facilities in the kingdom."

The Houthis have repeatedly hit Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers since a truce with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government unraveled in July. A UN envoy has warned Yemen has returned to "full-scale war."

The fight for Bab al-Mandab

The ground war is moving too. The Houthis seized stretches of the Red Sea coast, including the port of Mokha on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping.

Government-allied forces say they have retaken the strait. Saudi ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber wrote that Bab al-Mandab "has been cleared of the remnants of the Houthi terrorist militia."

A Houthi spokesperson gave a different account. He said government forces from Aden were hit with ballistic missiles, artillery and heavy weapons, destroying more than 22 armored vehicles and killing or wounding dozens, including commanders. Accounts differ on whether the government push has been repelled.

Washington weighs in

Asked outside the White House whether the US would join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, President Trump left the door open. "We may. We're going to look at it," he said. "We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly."

The US Embassy in Riyadh said it was "aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport" and urged Americans to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. The UK, Ireland and Canada issued similar advisories.

The civilian disruption is already large. Nearly 300 flights were cancelled Saturday, according to flight-tracking data, and every flight to Riyadh was diverted or cancelled. Kuwait Airways cited the "security situation." Etihad and Qatar Airways have suspended Riyadh service into Monday, Oct. 12.

Two questions remain open: whether Saudi authorities will confirm the 12-death figure, and what Trump decides on joining the strikes.