India condemns deadly missile strike on Riyadh airport, calls attacks on civilians ‘unacceptable’
India on Sunday condemned the missile strike on the international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, that killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, saying repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are "completely unacceptable".
The missile reportedly struck the King Khalid International Airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights, in what was the deadliest strike on Saudi soil in more than a decade.
"We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and damage to property," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
"The repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately," the statement added.
Statement on Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport and other civilian facilities ⬇️ 🔗 https://t.co/KqxIxD8ej5 https://t.co/S9IKDv13jQ
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 11, 2026
New Delhi said it stands in solidarity with the people and the government of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty, expressing hope that "peace and normalcy returns to the region at the earliest".
12 killed, over 300 injured in Riyadh Airport attack
The victims included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, and citizens of Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Sudan.
A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen for the attack.
The strike was the third reported attack on the international airport that week and the deadliest in any Middle Eastern country since the US-Iran war began in late February.
All flights were diverted from Riyadh on Saturday, and airport operations were temporarily suspended.
Houthis-Saudi conflict escalates
The Houthis have launched a series of strikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities and tankers since a truce in their long-running conflict with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government collapsed in July.
The Iran-backed group claimed a series of strikes targeting the airport on Thursday that killed three people and damaged an aircraft.
Yemen's civil war resumed after a four-year, United Nations-brokered truce collapsed in July. Saudi Arabia has led an international coalition supporting Yemen's government militarily since 2015.
Trump says US may join Saudi strikes
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington may join Saudi Arabia's military action against the Houthis.
"We may. We're going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we'll make a decision. We move very quickly," Trump told reporters when asked whether the United States planned to participate in the strikes.
US media outlets have reported that previous Saudi requests for American military assistance were rejected.
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