At Least 12 Dead, Including Foreign Nationals, and Hundreds Injured in Airport Attack in Saudi Arabia
Image source, Reuters
Published
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At least 12 people have been killed and 309 injured in an attack at an airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
This incident occurred just days after Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have conducted similar attacks on Saudi Arabia.
According to the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority, among the 12 fatalities are four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.
Following the attack, all operations at King Khalid International Airport have been suspended, officials confirmed.
Eyewitness Accounts
An eyewitness inside the domestic terminal told news agencies that they witnessed people getting injured right in front of their eyes near Gate 401. “Everyone was running,” the witness said.
Another eyewitness reported seeing ambulances rushing rapidly toward the airport and shared this information with Reuters.
Later, Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, confirmed that a terminal was attacked resulting in deaths of civilian passengers and staff. He described the act as “a clear war crime.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attack against Saudi Arabia and confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed.
Western diplomatic missions based in Saudi Arabia have advised their citizens against approaching the airport.
The UK Foreign Office has urged its nationals to avoid the airport until it is declared safe.
Following the attack, several Gulf airlines canceled flights. Kuwait Airways announced cancellations citing security concerns.
According to FlightRadar data, all flights headed to Riyadh have been rerouted or canceled since the assault.
Warning of Retaliation
The Saudi-led coalition has vowed to respond to this incident. It has attributed responsibility for the attack to the Houthi rebels, labeling it a “war crime.”
Fighting between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels has intensified. The Houthis have seized control over several regions of the country.
The coalition reported that a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Saturday.
Officials noted that Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have previously attacked Saudi airports twice; the latest attack occurred just one day after the prior one.
The first attack resulted in three Saudi nationals killed, while earlier strikes on October 6 and 7 caused three additional deaths.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority stated in a Saturday release that many of the injured are in critical condition.
A full assessment of the damage at the airport is still pending.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has targeted Saudi Arabia because the Saudi military supports the Yemeni government.
Attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased as the Houthis expand control over strategic areas in the Red Sea region.
A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia was established in 2015 to stop Houthi advances and support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
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