Some of the injured were in critical condition, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said. All were receiving treatment at several hospitals. The updated toll followed initial reports of several or dozens of injuries.

The dead included four Saudi citizens and two people from Bangladesh. One person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan also died, the authority said.

Airport operations suspended pending safety checks

The aviation authority said operations would remain suspended until damage assessments and infrastructure checks were complete. The extent of the damage and a date for reopening had not been established.

Several Gulf airlines cancelled flights to and from the airport. Flight-tracking service Flightradar showed that flights to Riyadh had been diverted or cancelled.

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Reuters reported that more than a dozen ambulances headed to the airport, citing a witness. Another witness described seeing gate 401 in the domestic terminal hit and injured people nearby. A medical source told AFP that doctors had been asked to report to hospitals.

The US Embassy urged Americans to avoid the airport and surrounding areas. The UK Foreign Office advised British nationals to stay away until the airport was secure and follow Saudi authorities’ advice.

Saudi-led coalition promises a response

The Saudi-led military coalition blamed Yemen’s Houthis for the attack and promised a decisive response. Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki Al-Malki described it as a terrorist attack and a war crime.

Al-Malki said the coalition would respond in accordance with customary international humanitarian law. The weapon used in the Riyadh attack has not been established.

The coalition also said a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump condemned the Houthi action, CNN Brasil reported. He also said he might consider joining Saudi attacks against the group. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthi offensive must stop immediately.

Attack follows earlier strikes on Saudi airports

Authorities had previously reported that two Houthi attacks on the Riyadh airport killed three Saudis, including a pilot. Three other people were killed in attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7.

The strikes come amid renewed fighting between Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis. The Houthis control much of northwestern Yemen. An informal truce negotiated in 2022 began to unravel in July.

The Houthis said they were targeting Saudi Arabia because of its support for Yemen’s government forces. They also described their actions as retaliation for what they called a Saudi blockade and an air strike on Sanaa airport.

The group announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets. Those attacks have targeted airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.