Saudi capital airport hit by second Houthi strike in two days

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been struck for the second time in two days, according to Saudi authorities, following a series of assaults claimed by Yemen's Houthi movement.

The latest incident occurred on Sunday when a projectile struck Passenger Hall No 4 at the facility, triggering a blaze and causing several injuries, civil aviation officials reported. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, stated that air defence systems intercepted an incoming missile in the vicinity of the capital's airport, while emergency personnel responded to the fire sparked by an unidentified munition.

The incident follows a fatal assault on the same hub on Saturday that left 13 people dead and 308 wounded. Victims of that strike represented multiple nationalities, including citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Egypt, India and the United States. It marked the single deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab nation since wider regional hostilities escalated earlier this year.

Houthi military representative Brig Gen Yahya Saree confirmed the Yemeni faction had targeted the capital's primary transit hub using cruise and ballistic missiles alongside drones over a 24-hour window. He stated the group also directed operations toward oil infrastructure and Dammam airport located in the kingdom's eastern province. Issuing a broad caution to commercial carriers and international travellers, Saree declared that all Saudi civil airports remain potential targets, excluding holy sites in Mecca and Medina.

The rebel faction justified the barrages as retaliation for Saudi backing of the Yemeni government, alongside an alleged coalition air raid against the international airport in Sanaa, which Saudi officials have not confirmed. Earlier in the week, additional strikes hit aviation hubs in Riyadh and Abha.

International reactions were swift. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the operations and confirmed the death of an American citizen, while President Donald Trump indicated Washington would determine rapidly whether to launch direct military countermeasures against the group. British officials also expressed condemnation, with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting suggesting the UK could expand assistance to Saudi Arabia. Several Western governments have updated their travel warnings for the region.

The cross-border escalation follows the breakdown in July of a truce originally negotiated in 2022. Fighting intensified after Houthi fighters captured key terrain along the Red Sea corridor earlier this year, prompting renewed intervention by Saudi-led forces. The movement currently maintains control over approximately a quarter of Yemen, encompassing roughly 80 percent of the populace.