The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced that three citizens were killed and several people injured in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, 8 October 2026. The authority said the attacks targeted facilities inside the airport and an aircraft operated by Saudi Airlines, in an incident affecting one of the Kingdom’s main airports.
Death and injury toll after the two attacks
The authority said the toll from the two attacks included three Saudi deaths and several injuries. Reports said Saudi citizens and residents were among the injured, along with people of other nationalities, without specifying the total number of injuries or their breakdown by nationality. The toll was announced on Friday morning, hours after the two attacks took place.
According to details of the incident, the first attack targeted facilities at King Khalid International Airport, while the second hit a Saudi Airlines aircraft that was parked on the ground. Information related to the incident said the aircraft was damaged and was not carrying passengers when it was targeted, while no details were given about the nature of the damage.
Reports said one of the three people killed was an employee of Saudi Airlines. The names of the victims and injured were not released in statements about the incident. The toll announced by the Civil Aviation Authority was limited to three deaths and several injuries, with confirmation that those killed were Saudi citizens.
Saudi Arabia accuses Houthis of carrying out attack
Regarding responsibility for the two attacks, a Saudi representative accused the Houthis of targeting Riyadh airport and described the incident as a “terrorist attack”. The accusation remains attributed to the Saudi position, as the published details of the incident did not describe the nature of the two attacks or the methods used to carry them out, nor include a statement from any group claiming responsibility.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners. She said Iran-backed proxies must stop what she described as violent and reckless acts, linking the two attacks to groups backed by Tehran without providing further details about the party that carried them out.
The announced information indicates that the two attacks took place on the same day and targeted two different sites within King Khalid International Airport: the first involved airport facilities, and the second a Saudi national carrier aircraft.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced the two attacks and the human toll, and also confirmed that the targeted aircraft belonged to Saudi Airlines and was on the ground when the attack took place.
