One killed, eight injured in attack on King Fahd airport in Saudi Arabia's Dammam
In short
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said one person was killed and eight injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening. The Hill reported that the authority blamed the Houthis. The U.S. State Department ordered nonessential government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
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Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said one person was killed and eight were injured in an attack on King Fahd airport, according to a Reuters headline. The Hill said the General Authority of Civil Aviation stated that the Houthis targeted King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam on Wednesday evening. [ 3 , 4 ]
According to The Hill, eight people were hospitalized with injuries that ranged from "mild to critical". Authorities were still determining the extent of the damage. [ 4 ]
The Hill described the strike as the latest in a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and other infrastructure amid renewed fighting between the rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi officials said air defenses shot down a drone targeting Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, and debris from the interception killed two people and injured two others. The Hill also said that an Oct. 12 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh left 12 people dead and hundreds injured, and that Abha International Airport and several Saudi Aramco facilities were also targeted. [ 4 ]
The Wall Street Journal's summary said the U.S. ordered the departure of some personnel as Iran-backed Houthis increase attacks against Saudi Arabia. [ 5 ]
The State Department on Wednesday ordered nonessential U.S. government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing risk of further violence, The Hill reported. A spokesperson told The Hill that the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area, and that the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the department's highest priority. The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia also issued a security alert advising Americans to follow local emergency warnings. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The attack is the latest in a series of Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and other infrastructure, according to The Hill. The U.S. response, ordering some personnel to leave, points to concern about further violence.
Key facts
- Saudi civil aviation said one person was killed and eight injured in an attack on King Fahd airport. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Hill reported that Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said the Houthis targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening. [ 4 ]
- Eight people were hospitalized, with injuries ranging from "mild to critical", according to The Hill. [ 4 ]
- Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi officials said air defenses shot down a drone targeting Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield; debris killed two people and injured two others, The Hill reported. [ 4 ]
- The State Department on Wednesday ordered nonessential U.S. government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing risk of further violence, The Hill reported. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The extent of the damage at the airport. The Hill reported that authorities are still determining it.
- Who carried out the attack. The Hill attributes it to the Houthis, citing the civil aviation authority's statement; the Reuters headline and summary available do not name an attacker, and the Wall Street Journal summary refers only to increased Houthi attacks.