12 killed, 309 injured in attack on Riyadh airport as Houthis, Saudi Arabia trade strikes

What the report says

Saudi authorities said an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured 309 others, according to reporting attributed to Xinhua and published by The Independent Uganda. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said the victims included Saudi citizens as well as foreign residents from several countries, and that some of the injured were in serious condition.

The airport was temporarily closed while officials assessed damage and carried out safety checks. The article said the incident took place amid continued exchanges of strikes between Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, with both sides targeting airports and other strategic sites.

In a statement cited by the report, the Houthis said they were prepared for reciprocal measures and wanted airports, seaports and other civilian facilities kept outside the fighting. Houthi-run media also reported Saudi strikes on areas in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and locations near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while Yemen’s government forces described large numbers of Houthi losses in recent fighting, figures that could not be independently verified.

The broader conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since late 2014, and the article noted that a Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The renewed violence was presented as a significant escalation after a 2022 UN-brokered truce had largely reduced major hostilities.