Tanker Hit and Catches Fire in Strait of Hormuz... Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12

Saudi-Led Coalition Blames Houthi Rebels for Attack

A tanker caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. The previous day, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was hit in a missile attack that killed 12 people and injured more than 300. The military conflict in the Middle East appears to be spreading into disruptions to maritime and air traffic.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Oct. 11 (local time) that it had received a report that a tanker sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz had caught fire after being struck on its port side by an unidentified projectile. All crew members were reported safe.

The extent of the damage to the vessel and the impact on the marine environment were not known at the time, and authorities are investigating the incident. UKMTO urged vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and recommended that they report any suspicious activity immediately.

Earlier, an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10 killed 12 people and injured 309. The dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The Saudi-led coalition blamed the attack on the Houthi rebels, who did not claim responsibility at the time. The attack was reported to have caused the highest number of casualties in an attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Airport operations were suspended, and Saudi authorities extended the closure. In-person classes at schools were also moved online. Disruptions to air traffic continued, with flights to Saudi Arabia from Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar among those canceled or rerouted. However, the World Petroleum Congress (WPC), scheduled to take place in Riyadh, is set to proceed as planned.

Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its involvement in Yemen's civil war, carrying out airstrikes targeting the Houthi rebels and supporting counterattacks by Yemeni government forces. Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry claimed that attacks by the Saudi-led coalition had killed 91 Yemenis and injured 168 over the past five weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider whether U.S. forces would participate in Saudi airstrikes against the Houthis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.