Saudi Aviation Reports 12 Dead, 309 Wounded in King Khalid Airport Attack
At least 291 flights at the Riyadh airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods.
At least 12 people died and 309 others were wounded in the attack that targeted King Khalid International Airport, the Saudi civil aviation authority said late Saturday.
The fatalities include four Saudi nationals, two people from Bangladesh, and one citizen each from Egypt, the US, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Sudan, authority added in a statement, Reports Kuna.
The injured, some of whom are in critical condition, are receiving necessary medical care at hospitals, it added. The attack also caused material damage, which is being surveyed, it stated.
Hours after the attack, the spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia’s main eastern airport, also came under attack. Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki announced the incident in a post on X.
It was the first time King Fahd International Airport, one of the Kingdom’s busiest transport hubs, had been targetted since the Iran war erupted on Feb. 28.
Following the attack on KKIA on Saturday, GACA said operations at the airport were temporarily suspended while an assessment of the damage was being carried out.
“This attack comes amidst ongoing blatant assaults targeting civil aviation facilities in the Kingdom,” the authority said.
At least 291 flights at the Riyadh airport had been canceled over the past 24 hours, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Before the latest attack, Air India, FlyDubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines were among airlines suspending flights to and from Riyadh and other Saudi airports for varying periods.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had expanded its guidance on Saudi airspace, noting the Houthis’ ability to strike targets deeper inside the kingdom, including Riyadh, and a “greater focus on aviation infrastructure.”
The missile and drone attacks and interception efforts “create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft,” it said.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said those who had been unable to reach their destinations in the Kingdom from abroad because of the disruption should contact the Saudi missions in the countries where they are located to request assistance.
King Khalid International Airport earlier advised passengers to contact their airlines before traveling to the airport.
