12 dead and 309 injured in attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday

It noted that the injured "are receiving the necessary healthcare in a number of hospitals, and among them are critical cases."

Saudi authorities announced on Saturday the suspension of operational activities at Riyadh airport after it was subjected to an "assault" that resulted in casualties, while a diplomatic source confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile that struck the capital's airport.

Medical sources reported that doctors were summoned to hospitals to deal with a "serious emergency situation," with reports of "dozens" of injuries, including critical cases. Embassies urged their staff to avoid using the airport for a week, according to a Western diplomat.

A medical source had previously told AFP that at least two people were killed in the attack, identifying one of the victims as an Egyptian flight attendant working for a Saudi airline.

The source, who works at a hospital in Riyadh where the victims were taken, said the second victim was a Palestinian holding Egyptian travel documents.

A source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the death of the two individuals and their nationalities.

On Saturday night, the Saudi-led coalition announced the fall of a "projectile" in the vicinity of Dammam airport in the oil-rich east of the Kingdom.

Saudi authorities did not name the party behind the assault. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for any operation, noting that they had previously targeted King Khalid Airport in recent days, amid an escalation of their attacks on the Kingdom, which supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government, following the resumption of the conflict between the two sides in July against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation said, "King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was subjected to an assault this Saturday afternoon... this comes in light of the continued blatant assaults targeting civil aviation facilities in the Kingdom."

It added, "Operational activities at the airport have been temporarily suspended until the damage assessment is completed and the safety of the facilities is verified."

A diplomatic source reported that a missile launched by the Houthis struck the airport around 3:00 PM (12:00 GMT). He said, "The Houthis are attacking civilian targets. Riyadh airport is a civilian target."

A witness at the scene said, "I was at gate 403. I saw gate 401 (which was attacked at the passenger terminal), I saw wounded people before my eyes. Everyone was running."

Riyadh has recently witnessed attacks at a frequency not seen in many years. They are also unprecedented since the start of the war in the Middle East with the American-Israeli attack on Iran in February.

The assault sparked a state of health emergency in the Saudi capital.

A medical source said, "Emergency doctors are being summoned to hospitals across Riyadh... we have been informed that we are dealing with a serious emergency." He added, "The injured are being transported to hospitals across Riyadh, and many of them are in critical condition."

Two doctors said that a number of Umrah pilgrims were among the injured.

Another medical source had previously reported that "dozens of people, mostly Saudis, were injured... there are at least five of the injured, all of them Saudis, in intensive care," noting that some of the wounded were transported by helicopters.

- Attack on Dammam airport -

At night, the spokesman for the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Turki Al-Maliki, announced via X the "fall of a projectile in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam."

This airport, located in the oil-rich Eastern Province, is considered, along with Jeddah airport (west), an alternative to Riyadh airport, which suspended work on Saturday.

The coalition did not immediately attribute the attack to any party, and no party issued a claim of responsibility.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump stated, commenting on Saturday's attack, that he would decide "quickly" on whether the United States would join Saudi Arabia in striking the Houthis in Yemen.

Press reports had indicated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump "and asked him again for help in confronting" the Houthi advance, noting that he refused.

Six people were killed this week in strikes that targeted two Saudi airports and were claimed by the Houthis. The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the death of three citizens in two attacks on King Khalid Airport on Thursday, after three others were killed in attacks that hit it and Abha airport on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Saturday, the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, reiterated that "humanitarian flights to and from Riyadh airport will be allowed for all flights that have obtained a permit from the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center in the capital, Sanaa."

A Western diplomat told AFP that Western embassies "indicated that they have decided to prevent their staff from traveling to and from Riyadh airport during the coming week, as a precautionary measure."

Kuwait Airways announced the cancellation of two flights to and from Riyadh on Saturday "due to the closure of the airport as a result of the security situation."

- Conflicting accounts -

On the ground, the Saudi-led coalition intensified its strikes in support of Yemeni government forces, which began a large-scale offensive this week to retake areas controlled by the Houthis. Houthi-affiliated media reported on Saturday about raids on Bab al-Mandab and Sanaa airport, which has been controlled by the Houthis since 2014.

After the resumption of escalation in Yemen in July, the Houthis expanded their areas of control in September at the expense of the government, to include the entire western coast overlooking the Red Sea, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has gained increasing importance for Riyadh for exporting its oil, in light of Iran's restriction of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Government military sources announced on Friday the start of an operation to retake Bab al-Mandab. They told AFP on Saturday that their forces had advanced in the area without yet being able to control it. They added that Perim Island, located in the heart of the strait connecting the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, remains in the hands of the Houthis.

The Houthis denied any retreat.

A member of the political bureau of the "Ansar Allah" movement, Hizam al-Assad, told AFP on Saturday, "Our forces are in control of Bab al-Mandab, Perim Island, and the rest of the areas on the country's western coast," confirming that they had repelled government forces "outside the Bab al-Mandab area."

Accounts regarding the developments of military operations on the ground are conflicting, and it is difficult to independently verify the course of the battles due to field restrictions and risks.

The coalition had announced on Friday night the intensification of its strikes on Houthi areas, announcing the targeting of more than a hundred targets.

The battles over the past twenty-four hours in western Yemen, especially the Bab al-Mandab area and its surroundings, resulted in the death of at least 63 people, including 35 fighters from government forces and 28 Houthis, according to what military sources from both sides reported on Saturday.