Missile strikes passenger terminal at Riyadh airport and many are wounded, official says

CAIRO (AP) — The airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, was attacked again on Saturday and evacuated, two regional officials said, two days after three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed as the kingdom faces an extraordinary series of assaults in the new front in the Iran war.

A missile struck a passenger terminal and many people were wounded, one of the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. Ambulances were seen rushing toward the airport.

Flights to Riyadh diverted elsewhere, the Flightradar24 tracker said, almost four hours after the last flight landed at 2:05 p.m. Kuwait Airways said it was canceling flights because the airport had closed. Canada’s embassy advised citizens to avoid all travel to the airport, noting “ongoing military activity.”

King Khalid International Airport has been targeted multiple times in the week since a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, including one Wednesday that killed a Sudanese national.

There was no immediate Houthi statement Saturday. The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Riyadh resident, Ahmed Sayed, told The Associated Press he heard at least two loud explosions that rocked the capital.

The airport issued a terse alert telling passengers to check their flight status with airlines before heading to the airport. At least 225 flights at the airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition providing air support for government forces in an attempt to reverse recent Houthi gains along the Red Sea.

The rebels' gains gave them better surveillance of shipping on a corridor that's a crucial alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships.

Though the Houthis have told the AP and others they are only targeting Saudi shipping as part of a blockade in retaliation for one imposed on them, concerns about wider attacks persist. The Houthis previously attacked other ships after the war in Gaza began, calling it solidarity with Palestinians. A U.S. bombing campaign ended that.

The Saudis have sought support from the U.S. and other allies as its airports, military facilities and oil infrastructure have come under attack. Officials said U.S. assistance has included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.

On Friday, as he left the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump was asked about the attacks on the Riyadh airport and told reporters, “It’s not good” and “I’m not happy.” But there has been no immediate sign of U.S. military support to respond to the attacks.

The Saudi and Omani foreign ministers spoke by phone about the importance of “supporting diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions” in the region, the kingdom said Saturday. Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, has played a mediator role at times in the region.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities warned the public this week that "filming, publishing or sharing information related to countering missiles and drones and their impact sites exposes you to legal liability.”

This week, the Houthis warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations.

Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines have been among the airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for the next few days.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a “greater focus on aviation infrastructure.”

The missile and drone attacks and interception efforts “create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,” it said.

In Thursday’s attack, the Saudi national carrier said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground, with no passengers on board.

Associated Press writers Victoria Eastwood in Cairo, Cara Anna in Jerusalem and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.

This image from video obtained and verified by AP shows thick black smoke and flames rising from a fire at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

LONDON (AP) — The British government has blocked a contentious march from taking place in Northern Ireland after a two-week standoff between groups that support the region’s continued union with the United Kingdom and those who favor reunification with the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant intervened Friday night to ban the procession along Garvaghy Road in Portadown, saying it wasn’t possible to find a compromise between the union-supporting Orange Order and residents of the traditionally republican area through which it wanted to march.

“I’ve decided that it’s not in the public interest for it to proceed, and I’ve therefore banned the procession,” Bryant said.

The standoff grew out of the traditional marches held by unionist groups during the summer months to celebrate their Protestant roots and historic ties to the U.K. The marches have long caused tensions with the largely Catholic republican community, which says they are intentionally provocative and fuel conflict.

Tensions flared again this year after a court ruling seemingly paved the way for the Orange Order to march down Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years. Garvaghy Road was a notorious flash point between the republican and unionist communities in the years before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended the bloodshed in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

When Orange Order members gathered for their planned march on Sept. 27, they were blocked by republican protesters, including First Minister Michelle O’Neill, the republican politician who leads Northern Ireland’s regional government.

The two sides have been locked in a stalemate ever since, raising concerns that the dispute could trigger a broader conflict in Northern Ireland.

Bryant said he held talks with both the Garvaghy Road residents and the Orange Order but had been unable to find a resolution.

“I heard the concerns of people on all sides and I only regret that we could not reach a compromise on a way forward and that many residents across Portadown have felt anxious and worried,” he said. “With this in mind, I call for all protests, rallies and demonstrations to be stood down. There is no excuse for a continued ratcheting up of tensions.”

The Orange Order challenged Bryant's decision at the High Court in Belfast on Saturday.

Justice Denise McBride opened a hearing on the matter but adjourned it until Monday, saying the case was “not an emergency.”

FILE - The often barricaded Protestant church of Drumcree stands alone near the town of Portadown, Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999. (AP Photo/Adam Butler, File)