Airport strike kills 12, Saudi vows 'decisive' response

RIYADH, Oct 11: The deadliest strike on Saudi soil in more than a decade killed 12 people at Riyadh's international airport and wounded hundreds, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to vow on Sunday a decisive response against Yemen's Houthis.

The coalition blamed the Iran-backed group for the strike on King Khalid International Airport, describing it as a "full-fledged war crime" that a diplomatic source attributed to a missile.

The spiralling violence has raised the possibility of a wider escalation, with US President Donald Trump signalling Washington could join military action against the fighters.

One passenger told AFP they witnessed a strike in the airport's domestic terminal.

"I was on gate 403," the witness said. "I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. Everyone was running."

Four Saudi citizens were among those killed in the attack, as well as two Bangladeshis, one US citizen, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said in a statement.

It said some of the 309 wounded were in serious condition.

Reuters adds, Yemen's Houthis warned airlines, travellers and airport workers on Sunday to stay away from Saudi airports, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international.

"We renew our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theatre of operations for our forces, with the exception of the airports in (the holy cities of) Mecca and Medina," the Houthis said in a post on X.

"We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously, and Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions."

Operations at the airport were suspended following the attack and authorities said damage assessments were ongoing.

The attack prompted health officials to activate a rare mass call-up of doctors to deal with the "serious emergency situation", a medical source said.

Schools in Riyadh switched to remote learning for the second time in a month.

"The cowardly terrorist attack by the Terrorist Houthi Militia... which resulted in deaths and injuries among civilian passengers and airport staff, constitutes a full-fledged war crime," coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said in a statement on X.

Asked on Saturday whether he had changed his mind about joining Saudi strikes on the group, Trump said: "We may."

He said he would be speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling what happened in the kingdom "not acceptable".

The US, Canadian, German and Spanish embassies in Saudi Arabia warned their citizens to avoid the airport.

A senior Western diplomat told AFP that several embassies were banning their staff from using the airport "over the next week".

Riyadh usually hosts a packed calendar of events, including its flagship investment conference drawing foreign leaders and business titans.�"AGENCIES