An aircraft was reportedly hit at Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis escalated attacks on the kingdom. Videos of the incident have surfaced online.
In a video shared by RT on X, a thick black column of smoke and flames could be seen rising from the airport following the reported strike, which allegedly hit an aircraft parked on the tarmac.
Smoke POURS from Riyadh Airport after strike — reportedly hitting PLANE on tarmac https://t.co/2yq6T9W4nQ
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— RT (@RT_com) October 8, 2026
According to RT news, Houthis destroyed Saudi state carrier Saudi Airlines Airbus A310 parked at Riyadh Airport.
Lufthansa and Air India have suspended flights to King Khalid International Airport following the attacks. Lufthansa has suspended services until October 16, while Air India has halted flights until October 10. Several other airlines have also disrupted their flight schedules.
Houthis escalated their campaign of strikes against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, seeking to shut down the kingdom's airspace. The group has also launched attacks on oil facilities this week, killing three people and leaving an aircraft badly damaged.
No passengers were believed to have been on the plane at the time of the incident. However, the possibility of injuries could not be ruled out, according to a Reuters report.
The Houthis are targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's renewed civil war. Riyadh has said it is backing an offensive by Yemen's internationally recognised government to reclaim territory from the Houthis, the Reuters report added.
The conflict, now spilling over from the US-Iran war, has added to instability across an already volatile region and raised concerns about further escalation, including the risk of other states being drawn into the fighting.
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