Arab nations, Türkiye, Israel condemn Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

This photo taken with a mobile phone on Sept. 19, 2026 shows thick smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport in northeastern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua) CAIRO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The deadly Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday has drawn widespread regional condemnation.

In a statement early Sunday, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the fatalities in the attack on Saturday afternoon included four Saudi citizens and eight foreign residents -- two Bangladeshis and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

The Arab League said in a statement on Sunday that repeated attacks on civilian aviation facilities and the endangerment of passengers and airport workers constitute "an extremely serious escalation and a flagrant violation of international law, as well as a direct threat to civilian safety, international air navigation, and regional security and stability." It reiterated its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for all legitimate measures taken by the kingdom to protect its security, territorial integrity, citizens and residents.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced that an Egyptian woman was killed and five other Egyptians were injured in the attack. The ministry reiterated Egypt's "strong condemnation" of the continued attacks on Saudi territory, describing them as "irresponsible acts and flagrant violations" of international law that disregard the safety of civilians of different nationalities.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) strongly condemned the attack and expressed its support for all measures taken by Saudi Arabia to safeguard its security and stability. The Iraqi presidency emphasized in a statement that targeting civilian airports violates international laws and norms and represents an escalation that undermines regional security and stability.

It underscores the importance of prioritizing dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and working to spare the region further tension and escalation, while preserving international peace and security. Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed that the attack constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and an assault on the sovereignty, security, and stability of the Kingdom.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the targeting of the airport, expressing condolences to the Saudi people over the casualties and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured. "These attacks, which deliberately target civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians, clearly violate international law and the principles of international humanitarian law," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned "in the strongest possible terms the horrific terrorist attack" on the social media platform X. "Israel looks forward to a strong Middle East -- one that stands united against threats, protects its people, and builds a future of security, cooperation, and prosperity for all the peoples of our region," he added.

The statement marks a rare Israeli public expression of solidarity with Saudi Arabia, with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations. Syria, Palestine and Bahrain also expressed their condemnation of the attack in statements respectively. For its part, the Houthi group on Sunday renewed its warning to airlines, aviation workers and travelers against using airports and airspace in Saudi Arabia.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that Saudi airports and airspace, except for the airports in the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, remained "exposed to targeting" and constituted an area of operations for the group's forces. ■