Houthi strike on Riyadh airport kills 13; airport stays shut

A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, Oct. 10, killed 13 people and wounded about 309, according to Saudi authorities and wire reports. Early counts put the dead at 12; the toll rose when an Indian national died of injuries on Oct. 11, the Indian Embassy said. The airport remains closed under an aviation notice (NOTAM) until 2100 UTC on Saturday, Oct. 17 (5 p.m. ET), with no confirmed reopening.

The attacks

Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for the multi-phase attack on the airport, the BBC and Euronews reported. The dead in the Oct. 10 strike included Saudi citizens and foreign nationals. Four Saudis and eight foreign nationals were among the dead, with the 13th victim, an Indian pilgrim, dying of his injuries the next day, according to The National and Khaleej Times. The foreign victims came from Bangladesh, the U.S., Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Sudan and India.

On Oct. 11, a projectile hit Terminal 4, killing one person, a Pakistani national, and injuring 11, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), as reported by Anadolu, Euronews, the Guardian and Khaleej Times.

Oct. 10 toll vs. weekly totals

The figure of 13 dead refers only to the Oct. 10 strike. Larger totals that circulated cover more days and places:

• 18 dead, Riyadh airport over the week (Khaleej Times, Oct. 12): 1 on Oct. 6-7, 3 on Oct. 8, 13 on Oct. 10 and 1 on Oct. 11.
• At least 20 dead, Riyadh and Abha airports combined (The National, Oct. 12): this count includes attacks on Abha airport in Asir province.

Airport closure

A NOTAM keeps the airport closed until 2100 UTC Oct. 17, which is midnight in Saudi Arabia and 5 p.m. ET, according to Reuters (via Al-Monitor) and Air Data News. GACA said safety and readiness checks were under way. Reports stressed that Oct. 17 is not a guaranteed reopening date. Airlines extended cancellations. No reopening was reported as of Oct. 15.

Before the Oct. 10 strike, the airport had already been hit. Attacks on Oct. 8 killed three Saudi citizens, including Saudia pilot Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, according to GACA. Operations had resumed by Oct. 9, Al Jazeera reported, citing Saudi media.

Saudi inquiry and U.S. remarks

Saudi Arabia is investigating why air defenses failed, AP reported, citing unnamed officials. According to those officials, drones came first, followed by cruise and ballistic missiles, and there was no timely warning.

On Oct. 10, President Donald Trump said the United States might join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, according to Anadolu and Euronews; wording varies by outlet. On Oct. 11, the Houthis warned "all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace," the Guardian reported. The BBC reported threats of further attacks on airports and oil facilities.

What's next

The NOTAM window ends at 5 p.m. ET Saturday. Whether the airport reopens then depends on the Saudi safety checks.