Yemen fighting expands as Houthis attack Saudi airport: What to know

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and AP. Published On 11 Oct 202611 Oct 2026.

Key points

• According to Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, the attack struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.
• The Saudi-led military coalition on Sunday blamed Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group for Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport, describing it as a "full-fledged war crime".
• Dania Thafer, executive director at the Gulf International Forum, remarked Saudi Arabia will probable hit back at the Houthis "pretty hard".
• Al Jazeera's Yousef Mawry, reporting from the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, remarked the Iran-backed group was retaliating by attacking what it called Saudi Arabia's "most precious assets".
• On Tuesday, attacks on Abha airport and Riyadh's King Khalid international airport killed three individuals and wounded 36 others, according to Saudi authorities.

Saudi Arabia has vowed to "firmly" retaliate against an attack on Riyadh's international airport. It left at least 12 individuals dead, with US President Donald Trump calling the attack "terrible".

In practice, the Saudi-led military coalition on Sunday blamed Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group for Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport, describing it as a "full-fledged war crime". The Houthis have not asserted responsibility for the latest strike.

Nevertheless, on Sunday, the Houthis, additionally known as Ansar Allah, renewed ⁠⁠⁠⁠their warning to ⁠⁠⁠⁠airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using ‌‌‌‌Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously ⁠⁠⁠⁠and that the ⁠⁠⁠⁠kingdom "bore responsibility for failed interceptions".

In practice, the attack comes against the backdrop of escalating fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni administration forces after the collapse of a UN-brokered ceasefire largely in place since 2022.

For context, the fighting has raised fears of a wider regional confrontation, with the US President suggesting Washington could join Saudi military operations against the Houthis.

"I still think that the Saudis probably want de-escalation. They don't want long-term escalation but the Houthis are making it particularly challenging by not only being a threat to Saudi national security but additionally a threat to international maritime security, " Thafer remarked. "So this battle is much bigger than just a tit-for-tat." Here is what you need to know. What happened at Riyadh's international airport?

According to Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, the attack struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday. It wounded at least 309 others, some of them critically.

In practice, the dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and one citizen each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. It was the deadliest attack on the Kingdom in more than a decade.

"The cowardly terrorist attack by the Terrorist Houthi Militia. Which resulted in deaths and injuries among civilian passengers and airport staff, constitutes a full-fledged war crime, " coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki remarked in an official note on X.

In practice, the Houthis, who have yet to take responsibility for the attack, remarked on Sunday that they "renew their warning to all aviation companies, experts, employees, workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, because they are exposed to targeting and are a theatre of operations by our forces".

"They urge everyone to take our warnings seriously, and Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions, " military spokesperson Yahya Saree remarked in a post on X.

Airport operations were suspended, with flights cancelled or diverted. Schools throughout Riyadh were additionally ordered to switch to remote learning for a week after the attack.

For context, the attacks have disrupted international flights, with a number of airlines suspending services to Saudi destinations. Afterwards on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition stated a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in the country's east.

Al Jazeera's Yousef Mawry, reporting from the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, remarked the Iran-backed group was retaliating by attacking what it called Saudi Arabia's "most precious assets". It are Aramco oil facilities and the airport in Riyadh.

"Although Saudi Arabia has said it will retaliate, let's not forget that it's carried out many air strikes across Yemen, and the Yemeni group is still able to launch ballistic missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia, " he continued. What other areas have the Houthis targeted?

In practice, the Iran-aligned Houthis have introduced a series of missile and drone attacks targeting airports, military installations and oil facilities throughout Saudi Arabia, including areas near the border with Yemen.

On Monday, attacks on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport in the southwestern city of Jazan and Najran international airport wounded three individuals and caused material damage, according to Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority.

For context, the Houthis additionally maintained to have targeted an Aramco oil refinery in Rabigh, on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, with missiles and drones, saying the attack caused a fire. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the claim.

For context, the Houthis imposed a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia in July after the outbreak of the latest round of fighting.

Yasmeen Al Eryani, the executive director for knowledge production at Sanaa Center, remarked that the Houthis are trying to put "maximum pressure" on Saudi Arabia.

"But they're also mobilising the internal front lines in a really major way, moving even away from the west coast battle into Taiz and more densely populated areas, " Eryani, from the think tank based in government-controlled Aden, informed Al Jazeera.

"We could see further mobilisation, they have particularly high momentum. They will probably continue to capitalise on that momentum, internally, " she said, adding that "the cross-border attacks" will put pressure throughout the region.

Eryani continued that the Houthis were "provoking" Saudi Arabia, the US and regional states. It could potentially join in the conflict. What is the latest in the fighting?

As well as a missile attack on the Sahar district in the northern province of Saada, houthi-affiliated media on Sunday documented an air strike targeting Naqil al-Zarbi in the Hayfan district of Yemen's Taiz governorate in southwestern Yemen.

Forces belonging to Yemen's internationally-recognised administration additionally published footage purportedly showing the downing of a Houthi drone over Mount Sabr in Taiz.

As well as a drone in the kingdom's Eastern Province, meanwhile, Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki remarked early on Sunday that forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile rolled out by the Houthis towards al-Kharj province.

On Saturday, Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, the spokesman for Yemeni administration forces, stated at least 1, 150 Houthis were killed in almost 2, 000 targeted operations nationwide since the internationally-recognised government's counteroffensive began.

He remarked the army had destroyed Houthi ammunition dumps and at least 180 combat, transport and supply vehicles operated by the Houthis, adding that ground forces "continued to advance their assault". Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the competing claims.

Fighting has intensified throughout a number of fronts in Yemen, with Saudi-backed administration forces launching the Dawn of Yemen offensive on October 4 to recapture Houthi-held territory, including the port city of Mocha and the island of Mayun.

While the internationally-recognised government's forces remarked they had retaken Mocha and the Dhubab district near the strait, the Houthis have disputed the claims.

Notably, the Houthis have additionally tightened their siege of Taiz after capturing territory south of the city earlier this month, including al-Turbah. Taiz has been one of the most heavily contested cities in the war.

Fighting has additionally spread to Marib and al-Jawf, two governorates east of Sanaa, where administration forces have documented advances against Houthi positions.

What has been the international response to the Houthi attack on the airport?

While a number of foreign governments have cautioned their citizens to avoid the airport, the attack has drawn condemnation from the US and the United Nations.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an American was among those killed and condemned the attacks.

"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now, " Rubio remarked.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres additionally condemned Saturday's strike, stressing that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.

In short, yemen fighting expands as Houthis attack Saudi airport: What to know is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.