On Sunday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement strongly condemning the repeated attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure. The ministry singled out the ‘dastardly’ strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that occurred on October 10, noting it had caused the deaths of twelve people and left more than three hundred injured. The statement said the Saudi‑led coalition had blamed Iran‑backed Houthi militants from Yemen for the incident, although the group had not claimed responsibility. It added that this was the third attack on the airport that week, exposing vulnerabilities in Saudi defence capabilities amid a broader regional conflict that includes a Saudi air campaign against Houthis supporting a Yemeni ground war. The ministry expressed solidarity with the Saudi government in defence of its sovereignty and hoped for an early return of peace to the region, describing the strike as the deadliest in a Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war.
A missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10, killing twelve people and wounding over three hundred, marking the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in a decade. The Saudi‑led coalition blamed Iran‑backed Houthi rebels from Yemen for the attack and labelled it a war crime. Among the dead were four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, one United States citizen, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese. The wounded included individuals. The blast disrupted airport operations, prompted school closures in the capital, and drew warnings of a potential wider escalation, with United States President Donald Trump signalling possible United States military involvement.
The Houthi attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in particular the strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, are abhorrent. There can be no justification for attacks on civilian infrastructure. No political or military objective can justify the deliberate targeting of innocent people. Canada condemns these reckless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wish a full recovery to those injured.
The October 10 strike was described as a fresh attack on Riyadh’s international airport that claimed the lives of twelve people and left more than three hundred injured. It was the third such strike on the airport that week, occurring on a Saturday according to local time. The missile hit an airport complex that houses terminals three and four, as noted by a witness who said they were standing at gate 403 when gate 401 was struck. The witness described seeing injured people in front of their eyes and everyone running.
Turki Al‑Maliki declared the attack a terrorist act and said it would be met with a firm response.
The Saudi‑led military coalition has repeatedly blamed Iran‑backed Houthi militants for the latest strike. Maj. Gen. Turki Al‑Maliki declared the attack a terrorist act and said it would be met with a firm response. He also stated that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will respond to this terrorist attack firmly and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules. Saudi Arabia has vowed a firm response to the deadly attack that killed twelve and wounded 309 others on October 10.
Officials said the attack underscores the vulnerability of Saudi civilian infrastructure to Iranian‑backed Houthi tactics, despite the kingdom’s advanced air defences. Analysts have noted that Riyadh faces strategic challenges because the Houthis lack comparable civilian infrastructure to target, which creates an asymmetry in the conflict.
According to the timeline, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued its condemnation on October 11, 2025. The deadly Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport occurred on October 10, 2026, killing twelve and wounding 309. On the same day, India’s ministry again condemned the attack on the Saudi airport, and the Houthi missile strike on the airport was recorded. The following day, October 11, 2026, the strike on Riyadh’s international airport was reported as killing twelve and wounding over three hundred, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation released casualty details.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were “pushing the region into a spiral of violence.” “These attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” she wrote on X. “They are destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes with shockwave sent through the world.” Von der Leyen called the Houthis’ attack on Riyadh’s airport “a dangerous escalation” and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its people. “These murderous attacks at civilians must stop at once,” she said. https://t.co/PkkjGTxobE
Maj. Gen. Turki Al‑Maliki was quoted twice: first, saying “The attack on King Khalid International Airport is a terrorist act and will be met with a firm response”; second, stating “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will respond to this terrorist attack firmly and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.” A witness described the scene: “I was on gate 403, I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running.” India’s Ministry of External Affairs used several formulations, including “completely unacceptable and must cease immediately,” “We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and damage to property,” and “We stand in solidarity with the people and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty, and hope that peace and normalcy returns to the region at the earliest”
