Twelve killed and hundreds injured in Houthi attack at Riyadh airport

What Happened

On Saturday, witnesses reported a missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport in Saudi Arabia, describing an explosion near gates 401 and 403 in the domestic terminal, panic, injuries, and evacuation. A local hospital source told Agence France-Presse that five people were in intensive care and dozens more were wounded; a relative of one injured person said wounds came from shattered glass. Saudi authorities did not confirm any new attack or evacuation. The reported strike follows two attacks on the same airport earlier in the week that killed four people and damaged an aircraft, according to the article. The attack came as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and allied factions claimed advances to retake the Bab al-Mandab strait and Perim Island (Mayyun Island) from Houthi control. A Houthi spokesperson said forces from the Saudi-backed government in Aden were targeted with ballistic missiles and heavy weapons, destroying more than 22 armoured vehicles and killing or wounding dozens including commanders. Saudi ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber said the strait had been cleared; Waddah al-Dabish, an official military spokesperson for UN-recognised government forces, said only half the area had been recaptured. UN special envoy Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council that Yemen had lapsed back into full-scale war.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The reported missile attack on Riyadh’s airport shows Houthi capacity to strike Saudi infrastructure, and the fight over Bab al-Mandab and Perim Island matters because the strait is a critical maritime chokepoint for Red Sea-Gulf of Aden traffic. Houthi control or a contested closure would threaten commercial shipping, including oil transit, and could draw the United States more directly into the war, as Trump’s comments signal. The UN envoy’s warning that Yemen has returned to full-scale war raises the stakes for regional security and the Saudi-Iranian rivalry.

Watch For

Watch for an official Saudi confirmation or denial of the airport attack and casualty figures; a US decision on joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis; further claims or evidence of control over Bab al-Mandab strait, Perim Island, and nearby coastal areas; and any UN Security Council response after Hans Grundberg’s brief.