Strikes Hit Riyadh Airport, Leaving Fatalities and Disruption

A projectile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, killing and injuring people, and a second strike hit the airport the following day, Saudi authorities said. The attacks have disrupted travel and prompted heightened security measures as Saudi Arabia faces an escalating conflict with Yemen’s Houthi movement. Saudi state television released CCTV footage showing travelers fleeing as a blast occurred inside the airport and roof panels fell. The footage showed people waiting in a terminal, including pilgrims preparing to travel to Mecca. Reports differ on the first strike’s toll: figures ranged from 12 to at least 13 people killed, with reported injuries ranging from more than 300 to more than 380. The available accounts do not establish a common reporting cutoff. For Sunday’s strike, Saudi authorities reported that an unidentified projectile hit Terminal 4, causing a fire and killing one person while injuring 11. The Saudi civil aviation authority and coalition forces in Yemen were cited in the report. Saudi authorities also shifted in-person classes in Riyadh to remote learning from Sunday through Thursday.