Deadly Attack on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd Airport Leaves One Dead, Eight Injured Amidst Escalating Houthi Violence

One person has been killed and eight others have sustained injuries in an attack targeting Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport, located in the eastern city of Dammam. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed the incident in a statement released on Wednesday. All injured individuals, with conditions ranging from minor to critical, were promptly transported to local hospitals for medical treatment.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another attack earlier the same day, where Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone targeting a facility at Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield, resulting in two fatalities, according to the Ministry of Energy. These events underscore a recent surge in assaults on Saudi airports, coinciding with the intensifying conflict between Houthi forces and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.

Last week, the kingdom reported a projectile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 11, which caused one death and 11 injuries. Prior to that, on October 10, the civil aviation authority documented a separate attack on the same airport that claimed the lives of 12 people and left over 300 injured.

In response to the escalating Houthi attacks, the US State Department issued an order on Wednesday for diplomats and their family members to depart from US missions in Saudi Arabia. US officials also indicated plans to withdraw family members from several other US missions in the region. The US embassy in Riyadh released a security alert on Wednesday, warning of potential further Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.