DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia— Two people were killed and eight others injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, according to the kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The victims were identified as a Saudi citizen and an Indian national residing in Saudi Arabia. The injured included Saudi, Indian, Yemeni, Bangladeshi and Nepali nationals, with injuries ranging from minor to serious, authorities said.
The attack took place on Wednesday evening, October 21. Saudi authorities said airport operations had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal by Thursday, while officials continued assessing the damage and reviewing security measures.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement said it had targeted King Fahd International Airport as part of a series of attacks against Saudi infrastructure over a 48-hour period. The group also claimed to have targeted Abha International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry headquarters in Riyadh and facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco in Yanbu.
Saudi authorities and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government reported intercepting and destroying drones over several regions, including Riyadh and Medina. The reported attacks came amid escalating hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which backs the internationally recognised Yemeni government in the country’s prolonged conflict.
The airport attack followed another deadly incident in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said two foreign residents, a Filipino and a Nepali, were killed by debris from an intercepted drone that was reportedly heading toward a processing facility at the Shaybah oil field. Two other people were injured, and a contractor’s vehicle caught fire. The incident added to concerns about the security of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure amid continued drone and missile threats.
The latest attacks came as the United States increased security precautions for its diplomatic personnel in the region. US officials had ordered some government employees and family members to leave certain diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia amid concerns about further attacks. Saudi airports and energy facilities have faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, raising concerns about civilian safety, regional stability and potential disruptions to aviation and energy operations.
The renewed violence also threatens to deepen the wider conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, with implications for regional security and international energy markets. Although airport operations in Dammam have resumed, the latest casualties underscore the growing risks posed by the expanding campaign of attacks against Saudi infrastructure.
