Three foreign civilians have been killed and 36 people injured in attacks on two international airports in Saudi Arabia, in the capital Riyadh and the southern city of Abha. Yemen’s Houthi armed group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation released the casualty details on Wednesday following the attacks on October 6 and 7, 2026.

Two women killed at Abha airport

Abha International Airport, in the southwestern Saudi province of Asir, was attacked on October 6.

A Moroccan woman and an Algerian woman were killed, and 28 people were injured. Those injured included Saudi citizens and residents from Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Sudanese national killed at Riyadh airport

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was attacked the following day, October 7.

A Sudanese man was killed and eight people were injured. The injured were five Saudi citizens, two Egyptians and one Pakistani, according to the reported details.

The injured from both airports were taken to hospitals. Some sustained serious injuries, and airport facilities also suffered damage.

Saudi authorities said damage assessments and safety inspections were under way to protect passengers, airport employees and civil aviation operations.

Houthis claim responsibility

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree said King Khalid International Airport had been targeted with missiles and drones. The group also said it attacked Abha airport and a military base in Khamis Mushait.

However, the Saudi civil aviation authority’s statement on the casualties did not directly name the group responsible.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, said air defences intercepted and destroyed a missile heading towards northern Riyadh. He also said a missile launch platform in Yemen’s capital Sanaa had been destroyed. The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify those claims.

The Saudi-led coalition said it retaliated by striking more than 80 Houthi military targets across Yemen’s Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib governorates.

Background to the Yemen war and Saudi-Houthi conflict

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis did not emerge suddenly. Yemen’s civil war intensified after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition began military operations in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The Houthis are widely described as receiving Iranian support. They have denied accusations that they operate under Iran’s control.

Large-scale hostilities had declined following the 2022 truce. Reports indicate that major military operations resumed in Yemen in July 2026.

Fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed forces has been concentrated around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Control of this important international shipping route can affect the Middle East’s political and economic conditions.

Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi air power, have launched offensives to recover coastal areas seized by the Houthis in September. Both sides have claimed control of some areas, making the battlefield situation difficult to verify independently.

Aden airport also targeted

Meanwhile, the Houthis were also reported to have targeted Aden International Airport in southern Yemen on October 7.

Yemen’s Transport Ministry said a missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was due to land.

No deaths were reported in that attack. Repeated strikes on civilian airports have nevertheless raised serious concerns about passenger safety.

Yemen’s worsening humanitarian crisis

More than 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes during the renewed fighting in Yemen, according to reports citing the International Organization for Migration.

The situation is worsening for Yemenis already affected by food shortages, inadequate medical services and outbreaks of disease.

The attacks on Saudi Arabia’s two international airports highlight the danger that Yemen’s war can extend beyond its borders and directly affect civilians and aviation in neighbouring countries.

With tensions already high across the Middle East, a further expansion of the Saudi-Houthi conflict could harm civilian safety, international aviation, maritime trade and the regional economy.