Indian national among two killed in attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd airport

Two people, including an Indian national, were killed and eight others injured in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an oil-producing city in eastern Saudi Arabia, the country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Thursday. The incident comes amid an intensification of attacks on the kingdom by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces.

The second person killed was a Saudi citizen. Those injured included nationals of India, Yemen and Bangladesh, as well as a Saudi resident of Bangladeshi nationality, according to the Saudi aviation authority.

India’s embassy in Riyadh said it was gathering further information about the incident and contacting the affected families. In a statement posted on X, the embassy expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Saudi authorities were assessing the damage caused by the attack. Airport operations have resumed, and air traffic has returned to normal.

Saudi Arabia faces repeated attacks on airports and oil infrastructure

The attack on Dammam comes amid a series of near-daily strikes against Saudi Arabia this month, including attacks on major airports and energy infrastructure. A strike on Riyadh’s international airport was described as the kingdom’s deadliest in years.

According to an AFP tally based on official figures, attacks on Saudi airports have killed 22 people this month.

Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Wednesday that two people were killed and two others injured after debris fell from a drone that had been successfully intercepted while targeting an oil facility.

The repeated strikes have disrupted civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns across the kingdom.

US orders non-essential embassy staff to leave

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-essential staff at its embassy in Saudi Arabia, along with their family members, to leave the country.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the decision followed an increase in hostilities by Iran-backed Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure that had caused civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.

India’s embassy had issued a safety advisory to its nationals in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, urging them to follow the latest instructions from Saudi authorities whenever emergency alerts were received.

The guidelines advised people to remain calm, comply with official directions and move immediately to the nearest safe location inside a building. They were also told to remain inside their homes or other buildings until authorities confirmed that it was safe to leave.

Collapse of Yemen truce fuels renewed escalation

The latest attacks come amid renewed hostilities involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-supported Yemeni government. A years-long truce in Yemen’s civil war collapsed in July, following which the conflict intensified.

The Houthis have targeted Saudi oil facilities, civilian infrastructure and maritime traffic, announcing a blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and beginning attacks on its ships, territory and energy installations. In September, they launched a major offensive and captured areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast that had previously been under government control.

Saudi Arabia has responded with repeated air strikes on areas controlled by the Houthis, who hold large parts of Yemen.

The expanding campaign against airports and energy facilities has heightened concerns over civilian safety and the potential for further disruption to regional transport and oil infrastructure.