Photo via Daily Mail

Houthis warn against using Saudi airports after missile attack killed 12 and injured hundreds - as Wes Streeting condemns 'dangerous escalation'

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗
Cite

Folker, R., & Hallowell, W. (2026, October 11). Houthis warn against using Saudi airports after missile attack killed 12 and injured hundreds - as Wes Streeting condemns 'dangerous escalation'. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16200083/Houthis-attack-Saudi-airports-Streeting-dangerous-escalation.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-11 · by Robert Folker, Will Hallowell

Quick Summary

The Houthis have launched a deadly missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds more. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemned this as a dangerous escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels, who warned against using Saudi airports and airspace. The EU also criticized the attacks, with Ursula von der Leyen stating they are destabilizing global transport and energy nodes.
Written by AI on 2026-10-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of October 16, 2026, UN Security Council strongly condemned "escalatory" attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia, including deadly strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The airport has faced at least 20 attacks since early October; the latest attack on October 10 killed 17 people and injured 333 others, according to Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Additionally, an earlier attack on Abha International Airport on October 6-7 killed two women (one Moroccan and one Algerian) and wounded 28 others. The increased Houthi aggression has raised concerns over threats to global shipping routes and critical Middle East infrastructure, with Tim Lenderking, former U.S. special envoy for Yemen, warning that the Houthis are now operating more independently of Iran's control, posing a significant danger beyond just regional conflicts.

Written for “Trump Condemns Houthi Actions” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 128 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump Condemns Houthi Actions
Politics · 129 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 6% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 16 claims Outlet record 66/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 60/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 2 of 41 claims Outlet record 67/100
NBC News
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 4 of 36 claims Outlet record 78/100
New York Post
Hedges 4 of 38 claims Outlet record 66/100
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 4 of 42 claims Outlet record 60/100
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 17 claims Outlet record 66/100
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 65/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
79
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
5 of 79 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
69/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
129
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-11 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 9314 article(s) · 22 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 22 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Robert Folker
59 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 George Michael's guitar from his Faith video is expected to sell for £120,000 after his personal assistant's estranged husband put it up for auction following her death.
🔮 The extreme conditions are not set to subside just yet, with the third named storm of the season potentially on the horizon.
🔮 Last week, more than 200 people marched through the village, which has a population of around 3,000 people, after Fenland District Council was told by the Home Office that the site could 'provide 26 bed spaces for mothers and babies'.
🔮 Andrew Lloyd Webber has 'withdrawn' his music from a production he was working on with Tim Rice, who says the pair may never work together again.
🔮 A fresh inquest into the tragic death of a five-year-old girl who was fatally scalded in a dangerously hot bath at home nearly 50 years ago is set to be opened.
🔮 The information you provide will be dealt with in the utmost sensitivity and we have trained investigators on hand to support you.'
🔮 There was also a misleading suggestion that proceeds from a £1.4million book deal would be made to the foundation, including from Captain Tom's autobiography Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day, the watchdog found.
🔮 Three children have sustained injuries and will be attending hospital for treatment; their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. '
🔮 The tiger zoo at Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort is set to reopen its gates to the public tomorrow after a visitor was mauled to death last weekend.
🔮 The 17-year-old boy has also been charged with robbery following two police investigations into separate incidents in May this year.
Also by Robert Folker
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 59 articles by Robert Folker →
Will Hallowell
78 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Previously, Rice Krispies and Coco Pops were labelled 'may contain gluten' because they were made in a factory where other cereals containing gluten were also handled.
🔮 I would certainly want to know more about what exactly was driving it before jumping to "work shy", given there's lots of other things going on.'
🔮 Here this pup is seen as a school bus An oompa loompa on the run from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory is seen with his colleague Legendary boxing champion Rocky Balboa pulled punches with his outfit This bulldog came dressed as a clown - complete with a wig This werewolf is too cute not to risk giving him a pet Another police dog at the scene patrols the area for criminals This chihuahua waits to be paid installments for the cheese tax.
🔮 US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume this month, having been effectively frozen since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February.
🔮 According to The Sun, Sheriff Valerie Mays told Sim: 'You are very well aware, in part through your own personal experience, how drugs can wreck lives.'
🔮 A heroic puppy who cheated death when he was found abandoned on a rubbish tip could win a bravery award after saving his owner's life.
🔮 Ms Coats has said she will 'never' give up on her daughter.
🔮 Ms Korwin-Piotrowska could not become interim chief as she had not been sworn in by the president, it added.
🔮 Donald Trump has agreed to send hundreds of Patriot missiles to Ukraine – but they may not arrive until 2032.
🔮 When asked on Tuesday whether he would shake hands with Mr Lavrov at the G20 summit, Mr Miliband, citing the war in Ukraine, replied: 'We do not engage in that way with the Russians and have not for a number of years.
Also by Will Hallowell
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 78 articles by Will Hallowell →

Topics

Houthi Houthis Riyadh Saudi Saudi Arabia

Subjects

Saudi NORP · 6× Riyadh GPE · 5× Houthis NORP · 4× Saudi Arabia GPE · 4× Houthi PERSON · 3× Iran GPE · 2× British NORP · 1× Wes Streeting PERSON · 1× Yahya Saree PERSON · 1× Yemen GPE · 1×

Narrative

Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 noted the suspension, saying 'the closure of Riyadh Airport has been extended by another 24 hours, until 21:00 UTC today', in a statement posted on X. But flights continue to be suspended today, a senior aviation source in the Saudi capital said on Sunday, after authorities announced a temporary closure the night before.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-11
🔮 The ongoing bloodshed has raised the possibility of a wider escalation, with Donald Trump signalling that the US could join military action against the rebels. Four Saudi citizens were among the dead in the attack, including a captain with the national airline as well as two Bangladeshis, one US citizen, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese.

Claims (79 extracted, 5 hedged)

The Houthis have warned against using Saudi airports after launching the deadliest strike on the kingdom's soil, killing 12 and injuring hundreds more. asserted
Houthis → warn → hundreds
The Saudi-led coalition accused the Iran-backed group of carrying out a 'full-fledged war crime' on King Khalid International Airport as it vowed on Sunday to retaliate. asserted
it → lead → Sunday
It came during an unprecedented wave of Houthi strikes on the kingdom after a truce agreed with Yemen's Riyadh-backed government unravelled in July. asserted
truce → come → July
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree has put out a statement saying the rebels want to 'reiterate their warning... against using Saudi airports and airspace' as 'they are potential targets and sites for operations by our forces'. asserted
they → put → forces
He urged 'everyone to take our warnings seriously', adding that Saudi Arabia 'bears responsibility' for failing to intercept its missiles. asserted
Arabia → urge → missiles
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the Houthi rebels' attack as a 'contemptible' and 'dangerous' escalation in the war between the two sides. asserted
Streeting → describe → sides
He told Sky News: 'What we've seen overnight is a dangerous escalation and I'm afraid an increasing pattern of behaviour from the Houthis that's targeting civilian sites in Saudi Arabia. ' asserted
that → tell → Arabia
This is completely contemptible action and it's one of the reasons why the UK is providing support to Saudi Arabia in the form of air defences, but also air-to-air refuelling. asserted
UK → provide → air
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (pictured) was attacked again, leaving 12 dead An urgent evacuation was triggered at the international travel hub as all flights to Riyadh had either been diverted or cancelled The wreckage of the Saudia Airlines plane at King Khalid International Airport following an attack on Thursday ' asserted
flights → picture → Thursday
We want to see an end to this conflict. asserted
We → want → conflict
It cannot be right that the Houthis are attacking civilian targets in this way. asserted
Houthis → attack → way
And EU chief Ursula von der Leyen joined the chorus of condemnation today as she too labelled the attacks a 'dangerous escalation' while calling on the Houthis to halt strikes on civilian targets. asserted
she → join → targets
She said: 'These attacks by Iran's proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence. ' asserted
attacks → say → violence
They are destabilising crucial global transport and energy nodes with shockwaves sent through the world. asserted
They → destabilise → world
These murderous attacks at civilians must stop at once.' asserted
attacks → stop → civilians
She added that the EU stands in 'solidarity with Saudi Arabia'. asserted
EU → add → Arabia
The ongoing bloodshed has raised the possibility of a wider escalation, with Donald Trump signalling that the US could join military action against the rebels. Four Saudi citizens were among the dead in the attack, including a captain with the national airline as well as two Bangladeshis, one US citizen, one Egyptian, one Jordanian, one Syrian, one Palestinian and one Sudanese. uncertain
citizens → raise → airline
It appeared to be the first confirmed attack on the Saudi national carrier since the new offensive began. asserted
offensive → appear → carrier
Saudia Group said one of its aircraft was damaged while it was on the ground but no passengers were on board. asserted
passengers → say → board
Meanwhile some of the 309 wounded were in serious condition. asserted
some → wound → condition
One passenger witnessed a strike in the airport's domestic terminal. asserted
passenger → witness → terminal
They said: 'I was on gate 403. asserted
I → say → gate
I saw 401 hit, I saw injured in front of my eyes. asserted
I → see → eyes
Everyone was running.' asserted
Everyone → run → ?
Operations at the airport were suspended following the attack and authorities said damage assessments were continuing. asserted
assessments → suspend → attack
Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 noted the suspension, saying 'the closure of Riyadh Airport has been extended by another 24 hours, until 21:00 UTC today', in a statement posted on X. But flights continue to be suspended today, a senior aviation source in the Saudi capital said on Sunday, after authorities announced a temporary closure the night before. asserted
authorities → note → closure
The source said: 'Riyadh airport has suspended operations again today. asserted
airport → say → operations
They informed us of this at dawn,' asserted
They → inform → dawn
A second source working in the aviation sector who helps oversee flights to Riyadh confirmed the halt in operations 'until further notice'. asserted
who → work → notice
They said: 'The information we have is that operations are suspended until further notice and that some systems have been damaged - the radar and communications equipment.' asserted
systems → say → notice
The attack prompted health officials to activate a rare mass call-up of doctors to deal with the 'serious emergency situation', a medical source said. asserted
source → prompt → situation
Two doctors said several pilgrims headed to Mecca had been among the wounded. asserted
pilgrims → say → wounded
Foreign embassies warned their citizens to avoid the airport. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki described the strike as a 'cowardly terrorist attack' against a civilian facility. asserted
Malki → warn → facility
He said: 'The cowardly terrorist attack by the Terrorist Houthi Militia... which resulted in deaths and injuries among civilian passengers and airport staff, constitutes a full-fledged war crime.' Earlier, the coalition said it had intercepted missiles targeting Saudi Arabia and destroyed launch platforms. asserted
it → say → platforms
The Houthis claimed a series of strikes targeting the airport on Thursday that killed three people and damaged a passenger jet, though they did not immediately take responsibility for any new attacks on Saturday. asserted
they → claim → Saturday
Saturday's attack was the deadliest in the kingdom since May 2015, when an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 21 worshippers in a Shia mosque in the eastern Qatif governorate. uncertain
bomber → kill → governorate
The civil war in Yemen flared back to life in July after a four-year, UN-brokered truce collapsed, months into a wider Middle East war that has rocked the region and roiled energy supplies and markets. asserted
that → flare → supplies
A thick black column of smoke and flames were shown rising from Riyadh airport Saudi Arabia leads an international coalition that has supported Yemen's government militarily since 2015 and is now being drawn deeper into its impoverished neighbour's conflict. asserted
that → show → conflict
Donald Trump on Saturday hinted that Washington could intervene militarily to launch attacks on the Houthis. uncertain
Washington → hint → Houthis
Asked whether he had changed his mind about joining Saudi strikes on the group, the US President said: 'We may. uncertain
We → ask → group
…and 39 more, not listed.
💬Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

🕘History 🎫Support