India condemns deadly Riyadh airport missile strike as international fallout grows

The Attack

India has strongly condemned a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which killed 12 people and left 309 injured. The ministry of external affairs stated that repeated strikes targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must stop right away. The missile hit an airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights. This incident marked the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war, following an escalation in fighting between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.

Casualties And Reactions

The Saudi civil aviation authority reported that the victims of this third attack on the airport in a single week included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt. Hospitals quickly filled with casualties arriving by ambulance and helicopter, with several patients in critical condition. Two earlier strikes this week had already killed four people and damaged a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the tarmac. United States President Donald Trump stated that Washington was considering whether to join Saudi Arabia's military campaign against the Houthis, noting that officials would review the situation quickly.

Context

Missile and drone attacks targeting regional transport hubs and civilian areas disrupt global travel and heighten security tensions across the Middle East. Major international powers often respond to such incidents through diplomatic condemnation and security evaluations to protect regional allies and trade routes.