Deadly attack on Riyadh airport kills twelve and injures hundreds

At least 12 people were killed and 309 others were injured in an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, local authorities said. Flight operations at the facility were suspended following the incident. The BBC, Middle East Eye, and Al Jazeera English all reported that the dead included four Saudi nationals and eight foreign citizens. [1][2][3][4]

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority stated that the dead comprised four Saudis, two citizens from Bangladesh, and one person each from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and the United States. Al Jazeera English noted that some of the injured remain in critical condition and are receiving medical treatment across several hospitals. News agency Reuters observed more than a dozen ambulances rushing to the scene, according to the BBC. [1][2][3][4]

Al-Monitor reported that Saturday's incident marked the third attack this week on the international airport in Riyadh. The strikes follow an escalation launched this summer against Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi forces. The BBC noted that the strikes came days after Yemen's Houthis claimed to have targeted the hub. [1][2]

King Khalid International Airport is located about 35 kilometres north of the Saudi capital and is operated by the state-owned Riyadh Airports Company. The conflict between Saudi armed forces and Houthi movement fighters in Yemen has been ongoing since the Saudi-led intervention in 2015. [11][12]