One Dead, Eight Injured in Attack on King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Dammam

At least one person was killed and eight others injured in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said.

In a statement on X, GACA said the airport “was targeted by an attack on the evening of Wednesday, October 21, 2026.”

The attack killed a resident and injured eight others, with injuries ranging from minor to critical. All of the injured were taken to hospital immediately. The attack also damaged property, and the authority said the extent is being assessed and further updates will follow. The statement did not say who was behind it or how it was carried out.

US PULLS NON-EMERGENCY STAFF

The US State Department issued an ordered departure for non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Iranian-supported Houthis “have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.” The safety of its personnel and their families, he said, remained its highest priority.

HOUTHIS, COALITION AND THE DRONE CLAIMS

Al Jazeera reported that Colonel Majid al-Nazili, military spokesman for Yemen’s military, said Houthi forces had targeted al-Rayyan airport for the fourth time in a single day. He described airport strikes as an attack on the Yemeni population’s essential assets and a deliberate attempt to impose a blockade on them, harming their freedom of movement.

In a separate statement, Brigadier General Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said coalition air defences intercepted and destroyed four drones targeting Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

A RUN OF AIRPORT ATTACKS

The Dammam attack follows a series of strikes on Saudi airports this month. On October 10, 13 people, including an Indian national, were killed and hundreds injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport. GACA had reported 12 fatalities and 309 injuries in a statement on October 11, and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh later confirmed the death of an Indian national who had been injured.

Earlier, a series of attacks on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport on October 6 and 7 killed three people and injured 36, according to GACA. Airport operations were temporarily suspended while authorities assessed the damage and carried out safety inspections.

INDIA’S ‘DEEP CONCERN’

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that the situation in West Asia remains a matter of “deep concern.” During talks with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, he said New Delhi will support every initiative encouraging peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

With inputs from ANI