On October 10, Yemen's Houthi rebels reportedly attacked Riyadh’s international airport with a missile, causing panic and evacuations as witnesses reported seeing injured people and hearing explosions. While Saudi authorities did not confirm the attack or evacuation, hospital sources indicated five people were in intensive care after being wounded by shattered glass from the blast. The incident underscores the ongoing conflict between the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, which has seen repeated strikes on civilian targets despite a previous truce.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 6 and 7, Houthi rebels launched attacks on Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing three people and injuring at least 36 others. The victims included an Egyptian, an Algerian, a Sudanese national, and several Saudis. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the strikes, which used ballistic missiles and drones. The Saudi-led coalition stated it had intercepted some of the attacks and destroyed missile launch platforms in Yemen. These assaults mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, impacting civilians and critical infrastructure within Saudi Arabia.
Written for “Houthis Attacks On Saudi Airports Kil…” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 29 other(s) covering the same event.
‘Everyone was running’: Panic, evacuations at Riyadh airport after Houthi strike
AI generated
RIYADH –
asserted
Everyone → run → strike
Yemen’s Houthis attacked Riyadh’s international airport with a missile on Oct 10, according to a diplomatic source, with dozens reported wounded and a witness describing panic at the terminal.
uncertain
dozens → attack → terminal
Saudi authorities did not confirm any new attack or evacuation, but one witness reported hearing an explosion while waiting to board a flight, and another said they saw a strike that left people wounded.
“I was on gate 403” at the domestic terminal, the witness said.
asserted
witness → confirm → terminal
“I saw 401 hit.
asserted
401 → see → ?
I saw (people) injured in front of my eyes.
asserted
people → see → eyes
Everyone was running.”
asserted
Everyone → run → ?
A source at a local hospital said five people were in intensive care after being wounded at the airport, saying “dozens of people were injured” in all.
asserted
dozens → say → all
The relative of one injured person said they were wounded in the shoulders and arms by shattered glass, and were taken to hospital.
asserted
they → injure → hospital
Three witnesses confirmed people being evacuated from the airport.
asserted
people → confirm → airport
“Houthis are attacking civilian targets.
asserted
Houthis → attack → targets
Riyadh airport is a civilian target,” the diplomatic source said, adding that the airport was hit by “a missile around 3pm” (8pm, Singapore time).
asserted
airport → say → 3
The airport was hit by deadly attacks claimed by Yemen’s Houthis on Oct 8, though the Iran-backed group did not announce any fresh strikes on the facility on Oct 10.
asserted
group → hit → Oct
The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers after a truce in their long-running war with Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government unravelled in July.
asserted
truce → attack → July
Admissions by Saudi authorities of strikes hitting civilian targets are relatively rare, with officials issuing few statements on Houthi attacks in recent weeks.
asserted
officials → hit → weeks
The scale and frequency of the recent strikes targeting Riyadh are unprecedented in the eight months of war that has spread across the Middle East.
asserted
that → target → East
Saudi Arabia leads an international coalition that supports Yemen’s government militarily, and has found itself drawn deeper into its impoverished neighbour’s civil war.
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itself → lead → war
Both Riyadh and the Houthis have signalled a willingness to keep fighting rather than pursue diplomacy.
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Riyadh → signal → diplomacy
Earlier on Oct 10, Riyadh airport urged passengers to check their flight status before coming, echoing an advisory sent on Oct 8, when attacks killed three people, including a pilot for Saudia, the national airline.
“Please contact your airline directly and confirm your flight status before heading to the airport,” read a statement posted on the airport’s official X account.
asserted
statement → urge → account
The Houthi-claimed attacks on Oct 8 also badly damaged a grounded Saudia plane.
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attacks → claim → plane
Meanwhile, in Yemen, Saudi-supported government forces were advancing against the Houthis in areas they captured in September around the Bab al-Mandab strait, military sources said.
asserted
sources → support → strait
The Yemeni government last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all areas held by the Houthis, after the group seized Yemen’s entire western coastline in a lightning offensive.
asserted
group → announce → offensive
The Houthis confirmed that government forces had attacked in the Bab al-Mandab area – a key chokepoint for Red Sea oil and cargo shipping – but they claimed to have repelled the assault.
asserted
they → confirm → assault
Claims by the warring parties have been impossible to independently verify, with the situation moving fast on the ground and access for journalists difficult.
uncertain
access → war → journalists
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