A missile struck the King Khalid International Airport complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 12 people and injuring more than 300 others, civil aviation authorities said early Sunday. Some of the wounded are in critical condition. The missile hit an area housing terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, a regional official said.
A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The coalition called the attack a “fully-fledged war crime” and vowed a firm response. The airport has no military facilities. The dead include four Saudis and citizens of several other countries, including the United States, according to the Saudi statement.
It was the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began. Airport operations were suspended Saturday and the closure was extended until 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the flight tracking service Flightradar24. The United States, Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada had already urged citizens to avoid the airport.
President Donald Trump said he was weighing whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes against the rebels. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack and said an American citizen was among those killed.
Several airlines, including Lufthansa Group and Air India, had already suspended flights to Riyadh and other Saudi cities. The attacks have also hit the Saudi oil industry and rattled energy markets.
