Middle East crisis: Riyadh airport hit again as Houthis claim attacks, including strike that killed 12 – as it happened

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was attacked on two consecutive days. Saturday’s strike killed 12 people and injured hundreds. On Sunday, an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4. Air defenses also intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport. Saudi authorities said Sunday’s attack caused injuries, but gave no number.

The Houthis, a Yemeni armed group, claimed responsibility for both attacks. Their spokesman also said the group had launched ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The Houthis warned travelers and airlines to avoid Saudi airports and said they had targeted Riyadh Airport several times.

The attacks disrupted aviation and raised wider security concerns. SriLankan Airlines suspended Riyadh flights until October 18. Saudi officials began checking damage and facility safety, while a major oil summit faced uncertainty because company executives might not take the risk of attending.

A cruise missile is an unmanned, guided weapon that uses an engine and aerodynamic lift to fly through the atmosphere toward a selected target. It can adjust its route during flight. This makes it different from a simple unguided rocket and helps explain why air defenses may need to detect it late.

A ballistic missile usually spends much of its flight following a high, arcing trajectory after an initial powered launch. A cruise missile instead generally stays within the atmosphere and flies more like a small aircraft. A drone is also an unmanned aircraft, but the term covers many reusable or surveillance systems, not only attack weapons.

The article reports that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport. It separately reports Houthi claims involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. The report does not identify the exact missile type that struck Terminal 4.

The article reports that Saturday’s Riyadh airport attack killed 12 people and injured hundreds. It later reports that an Indian national wounded in that attack died from his injuries. Because the article does not revise the original figure, the reported toll is 12 killed initially, with the later death noted separately. Sunday’s attack also caused injuries, but authorities gave no number.

The Houthis said they carried out four operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. Their reported targets included Riyadh airport several times, Dammam airport, and two facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco. That means two named airports and two named energy facilities were reportedly targeted, though the article does not confirm damage at every site.

The scale remains partly uncertain because the Houthi claims were not fully confirmed by Saudi authorities. Saudi aviation officials said they were still assessing damage and verifying facility safety. The article identifies several victims, including an Egyptian flight attendant and a Syrian woman.

The attacks affected both transport and energy markets. SriLankan Airlines suspended all flights to Riyadh until October 18 because of the security incident and ongoing safety assessments. The repeated strikes also temporarily halted oil flows, according to the article, creating concern beyond the airport itself.

The World Petroleum Congress was scheduled for that week. Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and TotalEnergies executives had been due to attend, but the attacks made it unclear whether they would take the risk. This shows how a direct security threat can disrupt meetings, travel, and business decisions even without a confirmed cancellation.

The article says the interruption to oil flows drove global oil prices higher. Markets react quickly when supply may be reduced or delayed. Future effects would depend on whether facilities reopen safely, attacks continue, and oil shipments and aviation services return to normal. The article does not provide a price amount.

The Houthis, also called Ansar Allah, are a Yemeni armed and political movement rooted mainly in northern Yemen. Yemen’s conflict became international when the Houthis seized Sana’a and other territory, challenging the internationally recognized government. Saudi Arabia led a coalition intervention in 2015 to support that government and oppose Houthi expansion.

The wider conflict combines a struggle over Yemen’s government, territory, and resources with regional rivalry. The Houthis receive support from Iran, while Saudi Arabia views their military presence and cross-border attacks as a major security threat. This context helps explain why Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi airports and energy sites.

The supplied article identifies the Houthis as Iran-backed and reports their claims of responsibility. It does not provide a detailed history of the conflict or explain their political objectives. It does show the continuing consequences: attacks on Saudi infrastructure, warnings to travelers, and pressure on regional security and energy markets.

Saudi Arabia’s main resilience strategy is diversification. Oil can move through the East-West Pipeline toward Red Sea ports instead of relying entirely on eastern export routes. The kingdom can also use alternate ports, storage terminals, roads, and railways to shift cargo when one route is threatened. Passenger flights can be redirected to other Saudi airports where capacity and security allow.

Each option has limits. Pipelines move large volumes efficiently but can be attacked or shut down. Ports and the Red Sea can face maritime threats. Trucks and trains are more flexible but cannot quickly replace all pipeline or seaborne capacity. Strategic inventories can bridge temporary interruptions, while rerouting aircraft and passengers requires available slots and safe airspace.

The article does not list Saudi Arabia’s alternatives. It reports that attacks temporarily halted oil flows and disrupted Riyadh flights. In practice, combining routes, spare capacity, protected infrastructure, and emergency stockpiles would reduce the effect of attacks, but cannot eliminate it.

Oil prices reflect expected future supply as well as barrels available today. If an attack threatens an important facility, traders may fear that production, refining, or exports will fall. They may bid prices higher immediately, especially when spare capacity is limited or transport routes are difficult to replace.

Oil is also traded globally. A buyer who loses nearby supplies may compete for cargoes from another region, raising prices there too. Insurance, shipping, and security costs can increase. Traders may also add a risk premium because more attacks could follow. The physical loss can therefore be small while the market reaction is large.

The article gives a direct example. It says repeated attacks temporarily halted oil flows and drove up global oil prices. Reported targets included two Saudi Aramco facilities. Even before the final supply impact was known, uncertainty around energy security affected prices and the World Petroleum Congress.