By Rachel Adams · Published October 31, 2026 · Updated November 4, 2026 · 9 min read

Quick answer: The houthis attack latest news, as of November 4, 2026: the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at southern Saudi Arabia and two drones near Riyadh on November 2. On October 30 it reported a drone over Medina, which the Houthis deny. Airport strikes from October 6 to 21 killed 22 people.

 

Why we checked this: we rebuilt this report from Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation figures carried by BBC, AP and Reuters, plus coalition and Houthi statements. We also compared every date against the original wire reports. That check found a dating error that many recap pages still repeat, explained below.

Key facts at a glance

  • Houthi strikes on three Saudi airports between October 6 and 21, 2026 killed 22 people and injured 383+.
  • The deadliest strike hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10: 13 dead, 308 injured.
  • The Terminal 4 strike that killed one Pakistani resident and injured 11 happened on October 11, not October 31.
  • The coalition has reported seven attacks near Mecca and Medina since September 16. The Houthis deny all of them.
  • Latest reported incidents: a ballistic missile and two drones intercepted on November 2.
  • Seven countries, including the US and UK, have issued travel cautions for Saudi Arabia.

Correction note (November 4, 2026): An earlier version of this page dated the Terminal 4 strike (1 dead, 11 injured) to October 31. Saudi civil aviation and BBC reports place it on Sunday, October 11, one day after the deadliest attack. We also corrected the Bab el-Mandeb oil share. The 20% figure belongs to the Strait of Hormuz.

What is the latest Houthi attack news today?

On November 2, 2026, the coalition said its air defences destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the Kingdom’s southern region. Later that day, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki reported two drones intercepted in the Riyadh area. His post on X did not name who launched them.

One day earlier, on November 1, the coalition reported another intercepted ballistic missile. Houthi media renewed threats against Saudi airspace and Saudi Aramco that evening. Houthi outlets also said Saudi strikes hit the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

Saudi Arabia issued public alerts in Jazan, Abha and Khamis Mushait on November 1. The European Union also condemned the Houthi attacks, especially those on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Did the Houthis really send a drone over Medina?

Nobody has proven it either way. On Friday, October 30, the coalition said it destroyed a Houthi drone over the Medina region. It was the fourth Houthi attack the coalition reported that day.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied the claim on X within hours. He said the group carried out no operation toward the Saudi interior and called the report fabricated.

The pattern matters more than any single claim. Since September 16, the coalition has reported seven attacks on or near Mecca and Medina. Saree has denied each one and says Houthi targets are oil sites and military bases.

His October 11 warning to airlines backs that framing on paper. It named every Saudi airport a potential target, except those serving Mecca and Medina. Independent evidence of a strike inside either holy city has not been published.

Falling fragments from intercepted missiles are a separate question. We covered the October 12 alerts in our report on Houthi missile debris in the Mecca and Medina regions.

Date (2026) Coalition claim Houthi response
Sep 16 Drone destroyed south of Mecca Denied
Oct 15 Cruise missile near Medina Saree called it a brazen lie
Oct 16 Mecca alert linked to a Houthi drone Denied
Oct 21 Drones intercepted, including near Medina No operations deep inside Saudi Arabia
Oct 30 Drones destroyed over Mecca and Medina regions Fabricated claim

How many people have Houthi airport attacks killed in Saudi Arabia?

Twenty-two people died and more than 383 were injured in strikes on three Saudi airports from October 6 to 21. Wikipedia’s incident summary, built from Saudi aviation figures, calls it the deadliest attack series in the Kingdom since 2015.

Houthi saudi airport attack deaths october 2026
Deaths per attack, compiled from Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation figures reported by BBC, AP and Reuters.
Date (2026) Airport Killed Injured What happened
Oct 6 to 7 Riyadh and Abha 3 36 Missile and drone attack; a Sudanese national died in Riyadh, two women died in Abha
Oct 8 Riyadh (King Khalid) 3 20+ Saudia Airbus A320 destroyed; a pilot among the dead
Oct 10 Riyadh (King Khalid) 13 308 Ballistic missile hit the Terminals 3 and 4 complex
Oct 11 Riyadh (Terminal 4) 1 11 Projectile started a fire; a Pakistani resident died
Oct 21 Dammam (King Fahd) 2 8 One Saudi and one Indian national killed

The October 10 victims came from at least ten countries. Twelve died at the scene, including four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one US citizen. An Indian man died of his injuries the next day.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said one of its dead was a mufti and 24 Bangladeshis were injured. For South Asian readers, that makes this a migrant-worker story as much as a war story.

What happened at Riyadh’s Terminal 4?

On Sunday, October 11, the coalition said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 and set a passenger hall on fire. Saudi civil aviation confirmed one Pakistani resident dead and 11 injured, some critically.

Air defences also destroyed a cruise missile near the airport that day. Saree used a televised speech to claim the October 10 strike. He said the group had also targeted Dammam airport and two Aramco facilities.

On October 12, aviation authorities extended the King Khalid closure until 21:00 GMT on October 17. Lufthansa, Air India, Akasa Air and Pakistan International Airlines had already suspended Riyadh flights after the October 8 attack.

Many readers ask how missiles keep reaching Riyadh despite billions spent on defence. We looked at Patriot stocks and coverage gaps in why Saudi interceptors miss some Houthi missiles.

Which Saudi oil sites have been targeted?

The Houthis say they struck an oil facility near Riyadh on October 3, AFP reported. Reuters reported on October 14 that the group vowed more strikes on airports and oil sites after Aramco’s headquarters was hit.

The Houthi target list is public. Saree has said operations aim at Saudi oil facilities and military bases. Houthi media repeated threats against Aramco as recently as November 1.

[NEEDS SOURCE: the earlier draft listed an October 14 refinery strike in Riyadh. We could not match it to a wire report, so it is removed until confirmed.]

Why did the Houthi and Saudi war restart in 2026?

It began with an airport. On July 13, Yemeni government forces working with Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa International Airport. The goal was to stop an Iranian Mahan Air flight returning from the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Human Rights Watch satellite analysis found three munitions hit the airport’s only working runway. The Houthis then ended the UN-brokered truce from 2022 and announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia.

Fighting jumped again in October. Saudi-backed government forces launched a counteroffensive near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis call their airport and oil strikes retaliation for Saudi air raids inside Yemen.

All of this sits inside the wider 2026 Iran war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran offered on October 12 to mediate between its Houthi allies and Riyadh.

How do these attacks affect oil and Red Sea shipping?

Less than many headlines suggest, but the risk is rising. Bab el-Mandeb carried about 9% of seaborne-traded petroleum in 2017, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The often-quoted 20% figure describes the Strait of Hormuz.

Flows through Bab el-Mandeb fell from 8.7 million barrels per day in 2023 to 4.0 million in early 2024, EIA data shows. Tankers rerouted around Africa after earlier Houthi attacks on shipping.

The 2026 Iran war flipped that trend. Hormuz flows dropped to 14.6 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2026, the EIA said. Bab el-Mandeb volumes rose to 5.4 million in the same period.

That shift is the real story for markets. Saudi Arabia now leans on Red Sea exports, and the Houthis sit right next to that route. Their July blockade announcement targets exactly the shipping Riyadh needs most.

Is it safe to fly to Saudi Arabia right now?

Several governments say no. Canada, Japan, Poland, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States issued travel cautions. Poland raised its warning to level 4 and advises against all travel.

Check your government’s current advice and your airline’s schedule before booking. The Houthis still list all Saudi airports, except those for Mecca and Medina, as potential targets. Mobile alert messages warned Riyadh residents before strikes in October.

The disruption has reached events too. Riyadh Season announced on October 28 that WWE Crown Jewel will move from Riyadh to an unnamed venue.

How has the world reacted?

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply shocked by the October 10 attack and demanded it stop. UN envoy Hans Grundberg called the airport strikes a grave escalation.

President Donald Trump called the attack terrible and said the US would make a decision about intervening. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned it and confirmed a US citizen was killed.

More than 30 governments and bodies also condemned the strikes, including the African Union, the Arab League, China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah praised them instead.

What is happening inside Yemen?

The ground war is getting deadlier. On October 20, SBS reported a Houthi ballistic missile strike on a government base that killed at least 53 people. The coalition says it has hit Houthi targets in Sanaa, Taiz and other areas.

That base was a recruit training site in Shabwa province. Our report on the al-Alam camp missile strike tracks the casualties and why the location matters for Marib.

Houthi missiles have also reached the government’s seat in the south. Five people died when strikes hit the Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden on October 15.

Government forces report capturing Houthi positions in Taiz. Analysts writing in the Jerusalem Post say the Houthis are pressing toward the road linking Taiz to Aden.

What is confirmed and what is still disputed?

Claim Status
Airport death toll of 22 (Oct 6 to 21) Confirmed by Saudi civil aviation figures
Houthis carried out the airport strikes Confirmed; Houthi officials claimed them
Drones targeted Mecca or Medina Disputed; coalition claims, Houthis deny
Two drones near Riyadh on Nov 2 Reported by coalition; perpetrator not named
Direct US military action against the Houthis Not announced as of Nov 4

Key takeaways

  • The Riyadh Terminal 4 strike with 1 dead and 11 injured dates to October 11, not October 31.
  • October’s airport campaign is the deadliest attack series in Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
  • Holy-city attack claims remain unproven, and both sides use them in a public relations battle.
  • The Iran war pushed oil traffic toward the Red Sea, which raises the stakes of every Houthi threat.
  • Strikes continue into November, so travel advice can change quickly.

We will keep this tracker updated as Saudi and Houthi statements come in. Washington’s side of the conflict, from the Qeshm Island strike to the Qatar-led talks, is covered in our latest US Iran war update.

Frequently asked questions

What is the latest Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia?

On November 2, 2026, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at the south. It also reported two drones destroyed near Riyadh without naming who launched them. No casualties were reported.

When did the Riyadh Terminal 4 attack happen?

It happened on Sunday, October 11, 2026. A projectile set a passenger hall on fire, killing one Pakistani resident and injuring 11. Some recap pages wrongly date it to October 31.

How many people have died in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports?

Twenty-two people died and more than 383 were injured between October 6 and 21, 2026. The attacks hit airports in Riyadh, Abha and Dammam. The October 10 Riyadh strike alone killed 13.

Did the Houthis attack Medina?

The coalition says it destroyed a Houthi drone over the Medina region on October 30. The Houthis deny it and call the claim fabricated. No independent evidence of a strike inside Medina has been published.

Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia now?

Seven countries, including the US and UK, have issued travel cautions. The Houthis still name most Saudi airports as potential targets. Check your government’s travel advice and your airline before you fly.

Sources