Aden (South24 Center)

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Saudi authorities said 12 people were killed and 309 others injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

The Saudi-led coalition accused the Iran-aligned Houthi group of carrying out the attack.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

It added that some of the injured were in critical condition. The coalition said the attack targeted a passenger terminal, while authorities continued to assess the damage and verify the airport’s safety. Airport operations remained suspended on Sunday, with the closure extended until at least 9 p.m. local time, according to flight-tracking data cited by the Associated Press.

Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki described the attack as a “terrorist act” and a “full-fledged war crime” under international humanitarian law and customary rules. He said the coalition’s Joint Forces Command would respond firmly and in accordance with the law.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the “deadly Houthi attack” on the airport, adding that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and must stop immediately.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg also condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, describing the latest strike as a dangerous escalation that threatens regional security and further complicates peace efforts in Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an American citizen was killed in the attack. He condemned it and offered condolences to the victims’ families. President Donald Trump described the attack as “terrible” and “unacceptable,” and said Washington was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

The condemnations also came from the Gulf Cooperation Council, the European Commission, Pakistan, India and several Arab governments. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as a dangerous escalation, while Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure threaten regional peace and must stop.

In his latest statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree renewed his warning to airlines, aviation workers and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of airports in Mecca and Medina. He said the airports were “exposed to targeting” and had become a “theatre of operations” for the group’s forces, urged people to take the warning seriously, and held Saudi Arabia responsible for any failed interceptions.

The Houthi Foreign Ministry also warned that any further Saudi military action would trigger a stronger response, invoking the principle of “reciprocity.”

The latest Houthi statement did not explicitly claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack. The threats followed previous Houthi announcements that the group had targeted Saudi airports and the coalition’s accusation that the Houthis carried out the latest attack.

On Saturday evening, the coalition also reported that a projectile had fallen near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Separately, Houthi-affiliated media reported that two Saudi airstrikes hit Nihm district in Sana’a governorate on Sunday.

Saturday’s attack was the third reported strike on Riyadh airport in a week. Earlier attacks at the airport killed four people: a Sudanese resident in a previous attack, and three Saudis, including a Saudia pilot, in two attacks on airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft on Thursday.

Separate Houthi-claimed attacks on Abha airport killed two people and injured 28 others, according to Saudi authorities.

The escalation comes as Yemen’s internationally recognized government continues its military campaign against the Houthis, with Saudi air support. The campaign was launched after Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The government military spokesperson said forces carried out more than 1,900 operations in the preceding 24 hours, claiming that more than 1,150 Houthi fighters were killed and more than 180 vehicles and other military assets were destroyed or disabled.

South24 Center was unable to independently verify these figures, and the Houthis had not commented on them.

On the Western Coast, the Southern Giants Forces said they repelled a Houthi advance toward Dhubab Airport and destroyed five armored vehicles, killing those aboard. Clashes near Bab al-Mandab are ongoing.