One Killed, Eleven Wounded as Projectile Strikes Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport

Sunday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport claimed the life of a Pakistani national.

Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026

A projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, resulting in one fatality and eleven injuries, according to Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) identified the victim as a Pakistani resident and reported that the wounded were taken to various hospitals for treatment.

The strike hit terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, just one day after a Houthi missile struck the same airport, killing twelve and injuring over three hundred, per the Saudi‑led coalition battling Iran‑backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

India’s embassy in Riyadh confirmed that one of its nationals succumbed to injuries from Saturday’s attack, raising the overall death toll to thirteen.

After Sunday’s strike, GACA announced that damage assessments and safety inspections at the airport are underway.

A witness aboard a taxiing aircraft told Reuters that a projectile hit the tarmac beside several parked planes at roughly 8:30 p.m. (17:30 GMT) on Sunday, igniting a fire.

The witness added that the aircraft returned to the gate, passengers disembarked, and were instructed to leave the area.

Riyadh’s airport has endured four strikes in the last five days. On Thursday, a Houthi attack on King Khalid Airport killed at least three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, according to GACA.

The airport has remained closed since Saturday’s attack, which stands as the deadliest incident in the country since the US‑Israel conflict with Iran commenced in late February.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes prior to Sunday’s incident.

The airport attacks have intensified the Yemen war and risk drawing in U.S. military involvement, with President Donald Trump saying he is considering whether to join the fight against the Houthis.

The escalation adds strain to global oil supplies and prices, and threatens commercial shipping through the Bab al‑Mandeb strait off Yemen—a vital alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump had said he planned to talk with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking assistance against the Houthis, but there was no indication on Sunday that he had followed through.

There are concerns that U.S. intervention could lead the Houthis to block shipping through the Bab al‑Mandeb strait, further limiting oil exports from the Gulf.

The rebels captured strategic points along the strait last month, while the Saudi‑led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has been attempting to retake those areas.

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