Missile strike hits Saudi airport, kills 12 passengers, injures 309

At least 12 people have lost their lives and 309 others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a devastating missile attack on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed that the deceased include four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one citizen each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, and Palestine.

Several pilgrims travelling to Mecca are among the hundreds injured, which led health officials to activate a mass emergency call-up of medical personnel across the capital.

Authorities immediately suspended all flight operations at the airport to assess the structural damage at the domestic terminal.

After the incident, the education ministry directed all schools in Riyadh to revert to remote learning for the entire week to guarantee the safety of students.

The Saudi-led coalition, blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen for the strike, and threatened serious retaliatory actions against the armed group.

“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, stated.

The United States President Donald Trump has condemned the strike, warning that the US may join the Saudi coalition in launching joint military operations against the rebels.

In response to the security situation, the embassies of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain have issued emergency travel advisories, warning their citizens to completely avoid the airport until further notice.