From the Liveblog of
Friday, October 9, 2026
Saudia Airlines employee, two others killed in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport yesterday
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Three Saudi citizens were killed and several other people were wounded in two attacks yesterday targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation says.
Saudia Airlines confirms that one of its pilots is among the dead, and that an aircraft was damaged on the ground as well.
No passengers were on board the aircraft at the time, the airline says.
It marked the deadliest attack in the country since Saudi Arabia and allied forces in neighboring Yemen launched a major military offensive last weekend against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in that country.
The first attack on Thursday targeted airport facilities, while the second struck the aircraft, the statement says. It does not identify those responsible, though the Houthis claimed to have targeted the airport with a ballistic missile.
The airport has come under multiple attacks, with a Sudanese national killed there earlier this week.
The new statement notes “injuries to a number of citizens and residents of different nationalities. Their injuries ranged from minor to serious.”
It also indicates that operational activities have returned to normal.
The Times of Israel Community.