A Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday 10 October killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi authorities as reported by The New York Times, the Financial Times and the Mirror. The Houthis claimed the attack. Earlier in the week, Saudi aviation authorities reported three dead and 36 injured at the Riyadh and Abha airports (Al Jazeera, 7 October), and three Saudis, including a Saudia pilot, killed on Thursday (AP via ABC News, ITV). Shehbaz Sharif condemned those attacks on Friday under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Attacks on a civilian airport in the capital raise the pressure on Pakistan to act under its defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, and increase the risk of a wider regional war.
Many Pakistanis work and travel through Saudi Arabia, and flights have already been cancelled; check airline notices.
Islamabad says it stands with its ally and backs Saudi defence against missile and drone threats.
Critics warn that being drawn into Yemen’s war would be costly and that the denial of offensive action leaves the real role unclear.
The numbers change the political question: after a strike this deadly, a statement is not enough. Watch for a Pakistani deployment announcement, an airline suspension, and whether the Houthis are targeted by Saudi-led forces.
The New York Times, Financial Times, Mirror (10–11 Oct 2026); Al Jazeera, AP, ITV News (7–9 Oct)
Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday kills 12 and injures more than 300, Saudi authorities say; Pakistan’s defence pact faces its sharpest test
The attack, the deadliest of the week, follows strikes on the same airport on Wednesday and Thursday. Islamabad has pledged support under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement but denies offensive action.
A Houthi missile strike hit Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday 10 October, killing 12 people and injuring more than 300, Saudi authorities said, according to The New York Times, the Financial Times and the Mirror. The Houthis claimed the attack; their claims are not independently verified. It follows earlier strikes this week: Saudi aviation authorities reported three killed and 36 injured across the Riyadh and Abha airports on 7 October, and three Saudi citizens, including a Saudia pilot, killed in attacks on Riyadh on Thursday, per Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.
For Pakistan, the pact signed with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in August makes the escalation a domestic matter. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the earlier attacks on Friday and said Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi security was firm; the Information Ministry has rejected a New York Times report that Pakistani jets are striking the Houthis, and the military says its personnel are in the kingdom without giving numbers. DailyDrop did not find a new Pakistani statement on Saturday’s strike before 05:00.