A resident in northern Riyadh described how everything shook and birds took flight after hearing explosions. The shaking was felt across central Riyadh and the northern districts where the airport lies, leaving people startled by the sudden noise.
On 2025-10-11 the Houthis carried out an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The strike marked the first of a series of assaults on the facility that would continue in the months that followed.
Just a day before the latest incident, on 2026-10-10, an attack on the same airport resulted in twelve deaths and more than three hundred injuries. The toll underscored the growing danger posed by the strikes.
General Turki Al-Malki, the coalition spokesperson, stated that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport.
On 2026-10-11 an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport, sparking a fire. The Saudi‑led coalition announced that the attack used an unknown projectile against the passenger terminal number 4 of the King Khalid International Airport.
In the aftermath of the Sunday strike, the coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile in the vicinity of the airport. General Turki Al-Malki, the coalition spokesperson, stated that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport.
Witnesses in central Riyadh and the northern districts reported hearing explosions around 13:40 local time. Three people living in the north of Riyadh were among those who heard the blasts. One resident said the shaking sent birds into flight. As of the report, the cause of the explosions remained unconfirmed.
While the airport attacks unfolded, fighting continued in Yemen between the Houthi‑controlled north and center (including Sanaa) and the internationally recognized government based in Aden. The Houthis also denounced air strikes on Sanaa's airport on Sunday, though no casualty figures have been released.
The repeated strikes on Riyadh’s airport, the claimed missile intercepts, and the ongoing Yemen conflict leave the situation tense. Authorities have not yet identified the source of the latest projectile, and the airport remains operational amid heightened security.