Saudi aviation officials confirmed twelve deaths and over three hundred injuries following a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while the Saudi-led coalition reported a separate projectile landing near Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport late Saturday amid a sharp regional escalation.
The weekend assault on the capital’s primary aviation hub brought civilian air operations to a halt and drew swift condemnations from international and regional capitals. The General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia revised its toll upward, stating that four Saudi citizens alongside eight foreign nationals died in the airport strike.
The fatalities included individuals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan, alongside an Egyptian flight attendant who was on duty at the time of the impact, as reported by regional medical and official sources. Emergency responders rushed to the scene as the blast left 309 people wounded, several of whom remained in critical condition.
Coalition Reports Dammam Projectile As Riyadh Airport Suspends Operations
Hours after the disaster at the capital’s airport, the military coalition intervening in Yemen announced that a projectile had landed in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in the eastern coastal city of Dammam. Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition, used a brief social media post to confirm that a projectile landed in the Dammam airport perimeter without providing immediate details on physical damage in that specific zone.
The eastern airport had functioned as an alternative transit hub after authorities suspended all operational activities at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Aviation authorities noted that the afternoon strike disrupted schedules across the region, prompting carriers like Kuwait Airways to cancel flights between Kuwait City and the Saudi capital.
Turki al-Maliki stated, A projectile landed in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Missile over Al-Kharj Province
As emergency services managed the aftermath at the airports, the coalition reported intercepting and destroying a ballistic missile over Al-Kharj province. The renewed barrage drew swift condemnation from governments across the Middle East and international partners.
Governments in Qatar, Bahrain, and Palestine issued formal statements emphasizing that the security of the kingdom remains a core pillar of regional stability.
In expressing its severe condemnation of this cowardly terrorist act, and its absolute denunciation of the continued hostile approach of this terrorist militia and the repetition of its flagrant attacks on aviation facilities… The
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised citizens whose travel plans were disrupted by the airport closures to coordinate with diplomatic missions abroad for assistance while technical committees assess structural damage at the targeted facilities. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki stated that the assault on the airport represents an act of terrorism and vowed that joint coalition forces will respond decisively in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
The General Secretariat of the Arab Interior Ministers Council strongly denounced the attack, characterizing the ongoing operations by the Houthi movement as a grave threat to regional security and civilian infrastructure. The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement strongly condemning the assault, labeling the incident a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
