Saadet Gökce
11 October 2026•Update: 11 October 2026
Pakistan on Sunday “strongly” condemned the Yemeni Houthi group’s attack on the main airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, which claimed at least 12 lives and injured more than 300 others.
“Attacks targeting civilians and critical infrastructure are completely unacceptable and constitute a serious threat to regional peace and stability,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Sunday in a statement on US social media company X.
Sharif said that “such acts of violence, which are a flagrant violation of international law, must cease immediately.”
He said Pakistan stands in “unwavering solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, “its leadership and brotherly people,” reaffirming Islamabad’s “steadfast commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security” in accordance with the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and the “enduring” bonds between the two countries.
Separately, Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the attack a “dangerous escalation that only adds to the suffering of civilians in the region and risks widening an already grave regional crisis.”
He urged all sides to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue and diplomacy for a “fair resolution of the crisis, and prevent further escalation and loss of precious human lives.”
In the airport attack on Saturday, four Saudis, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan were killed, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority.
The injured are being treated at hospitals, with some in critical condition.
The aviation authority said earlier that airport operations were temporarily suspended after the attack, while officials assessed the damage and verified the safety of the airport facilities.
The suspension has disrupted flights, with passengers advised to check with airlines before heading to the airport. Kuwait Airways also canceled Saturday service to Riyadh and return flights, citing the airport’s closure.
The attack came amid heightened tensions following Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and facilities in recent days.