New projectile strikes Riyadh airport terminal a day after deadly missile attack

A projectile hit a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, causing injuries according to the Saudi civil aviation authority. This fresh strike occurred just a day after a missile hit the same domestic flight complex housing terminals 3 and 4, killing 12 people and wounding over 300 others, some of them critically. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility, stating they have launched several attacks on the airport since Saturday.

Casualties and Damage

The victims of Saturday's missile strike included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, a Palestinian, a US citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian, and a Sudanese national. Among the dead was Azza Ramzy, an Egyptian flight attendant working for Flynas, and Buthaina Ahmad Oweida, a Syrian mother of four living in Mecca. The airport remained closed until at least 9 pm on Sunday, and capital authorities moved schools online. Earlier on Sunday, a Houthi-run health ministry claimed a child was killed and six people were wounded in a suspected Saudi airstrike on a house in Sanaa, adding that 91 Yemenis have died from coalition actions in five weeks.

Regional Escalation

Following the attacks, Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree warned travelers and airline workers to avoid Saudi airspace and airports, noting that facilities in Mecca and Medina are exempt. The conflict threatens to draw in greater US military involvement as President Donald Trump weighs joining the fight against the rebels and plans to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt for air defense support as it runs low on missile interceptors.

Context

This ongoing conflict disrupts vital commercial shipping lanes and energy infrastructure in the Middle East, putting global oil supplies and prices at risk. The escalation comes as Saudi Arabia attempts to position itself as a major international business and tourism destination through high-profile events.