Saudi-led coalition calls attack on King Khalid International a “war crime” as Riyadh schools return to remote learning
A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has killed travellers and staff from several countries and wounded 309 people, Saudi authorities said. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Iran-backed Houthis. A diplomatic source said the strike was carried out with a missile.
The civil aviation authority said the dead include four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. Some of the wounded are in serious condition, it said. Two doctors told AFP that several pilgrims bound for Mecca were among the injured.
Flights were suspended and damage assessments are ongoing. Health officials ordered a rare mass call-up of doctors to handle what they called a “serious emergency situation.”
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki called it a “full-fledged war crime” in a statement on X. The coalition earlier said it had intercepted missiles aimed at Saudi Arabia and destroyed launch platforms.
The attack is part of an unprecedented wave of Houthi strikes on the kingdom since a truce with Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government collapsed in July. US President Donald Trump has signalled that Washington could join military action against the group.
All Riyadh schools will move to distance learning for the week, the second time in a month, according to an education ministry order seen by AFP.
