UPDATE: Second Projectile Hits Riyadh Airport a Day After Deadly Strike
A projectile hit Terminal 4 at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 11 and started a fire, the Saudi-led coalition said. Saudi authorities cited by AP reported one death and 11 injuries. The airport was already closed after a separate attack the previous day.
Separate casualty counts on successive days
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi movement said a projectile struck Terminal 4 of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday and caused a fire. Reuters reported that Saudi air defenses also intercepted a cruise missile near the airport. Saudi authorities cited by AP said Sunday’s attack killed one person and injured 11.
The airport remained closed after Saturday’s separate strike. Saudi authorities reported at least 12 people killed and more than 300 wounded. India’s embassy later said an Indian citizen injured in Saturday’s attack died on Sunday, so the earlier toll may have changed.
Origin of the projectile remained unconfirmed
The Houthis had warned airlines and travelers to avoid Saudi airports. AP recorded Houthi claims for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s attacks, but a claim does not establish responsibility.
The projectile’s origin, the extent of damage, the final casualty toll, and whether the intercepted cruise missile was connected to the terminal strike remain unclear. No independent evidence reviewed here establishes the force responsible for Sunday’s attack. The airport’s reopening timetable was also not clear in the reports.
The airport attacks come amid an intensifying Yemen conflict: Saudi Arabia has backed Yemeni government forces and launched strikes against the Houthis, who have seized territory along the Red Sea coast. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes. That remains a stated possibility, not a confirmed U.S. decision or operation.
Repeated strikes on an international airport put passengers and civilian aviation at risk and increase pressure on Riyadh to respond. Any broader Saudi campaign or direct U.S. involvement could widen the Yemen conflict and raise risks around the Bab el-Mandeb, a major shipping route linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Responsibility for Sunday’s projectile must remain unassigned until stronger evidence emerges.
Documentary correction — October 14, 2026 (UTC): AP now records one death and 11 injuries in the October 11 incident, according to Saudi authorities. Saturday’s toll is separate.
Sources
- Associated Press — October 11, 2026; the version consulted in this review includes the updated casualty toll.
- Reuters — published October 11, 2026, 10:23 UTC; reports the coalition’s account of a projectile, fire, and an intercepted cruise missile near the airport.
- The Guardian — updated October 11, 2026; reports that India’s embassy said an Indian citizen wounded in Saturday’s strike later died.
- Airport file photo — Kharbaan Ghaltaan, photographed 2025; licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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