Two people were killed and eight others injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening, according to the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The deceased included a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident, while the injured comprised nationals from Saudi Arabia, India, Yemen, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Context of the Attack
The GACA did not specify the nature of the attack; however, the Iran-backed Houthi movement from Yemen has a history of targeting Saudi airports with drones and missiles. Earlier on Wednesday, two individuals were killed by debris from a drone intercepted over Eastern Province, where Dammam is located. The Saudi energy ministry reported that the drone was attempting to strike a processing facility owned by Saudi Aramco in the Shaybeh oil field, resulting in a contractor's vehicle being set ablaze. The fatalities from this incident were identified as residents from the Philippines and Nepal.
Recent Developments
On the same night, four additional drones were intercepted, as reported by the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis. There was no immediate response from the Houthis, but they have previously stated that their attacks on Saudi airports, energy facilities, and military bases are retaliatory actions against Saudi airstrikes on their territory in western Yemen.
According to Saudi authorities, at least 21 people have died in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports since the beginning of October. A missile strike on Riyadh's international airport on October 10 resulted in 13 deaths and 308 injuries, marking the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
