Riyadh Airport Rocked by Deadly Houthi Strikes, Indian National Among Deceased

A devastating series of attacks on Saudi Arabia King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has claimed the life of an Indian national, Mohammed Yousuf, and left several others injured. The initial missile strike on Saturday, October 10, 2026, killed 12 people and wounded over 300, marking it as the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab nation since the Iran war began. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that Yousuf, a Hyderabad-based IT professional traveling for Umrah, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, raising that incident's death toll to 13. The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen has claimed responsibility for these escalating assaults, which also saw a second projectile hit Terminal 4 of the Riyadh airport on Sunday, causing another fatality and injuring 11, alongside an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. These strikes come as the Houthi-Saudi conflict intensifies, breaking a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire and threatening critical global energy and shipping lanes like the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The attacks have drawn sharp international condemnation from the UN and EU, while US President Donald Trump is now reportedly weighing military involvement. With Riyadh airport operations halted and schools moved online until Thursday, the immediate focus is on ensuring safety and aiding the injured. The Indian Embassy continues to coordinate with Saudi authorities to support the injured, with three Indians currently in intensive care and two in regular wards from the Saturday attack. As Saudi Arabia requests assistance from international partners and vows a firm response, the Houthis warn of further attacks, indicating this volatile situation is far from over and could further destabilize the region.