Attack on Dammam's King Fahd airport kills one in Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes

Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority said an attack late on Wednesday on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in eastern Saudi Arabia, killed one person and injured eight. The authority later raised the death toll to two, according to Al Jazeera.

The New York Post reported that the authority announced early on Thursday that one Saudi resident had died and that the airport suffered some material damage. The same text was carried by Business Standard. The New York Post said Flightradar24 reported on X that flights were diverted away from the airport.

Al Jazeera reported that the authority put the toll at two, a Saudi national and an Indian resident, and that operations had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal. House of Saud reported that the authority said injuries ranged from minor to critical and that all eight wounded were taken to hospital. It added that the authority did not specify the weapon used and that the full extent of the damage was still under assessment.

The sources differ on the Houthi response. The New York Post said the Iranian-backed Houthis had not commented, while Al Jazeera reported that the group claimed attacks over the previous 48 hours on King Fahd International Airport, Abha International Airport, the Saudi defence ministry in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. House of Saud, citing The Hill, also reported that the Houthis claimed responsibility.

The sources also differ on the Saudi-led coalition's account. The New York Post said it announced it had intercepted four drone attacks in the Eastern region, while Al Jazeera said it reported four drones intercepted and destroyed in the regions of Riyadh and Medina.

Separately, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said debris from an intercepted drone killed two people at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, according to the New York Post and Al Jazeera. The New York Post said the dead were Nepali and Filipino nationals, two Pakistani and Indian nationals were injured, and the debris set a contractor's vehicle on fire.

Al Jazeera also reported that Reuters and AFP, citing sources, said Aramco had ordered staff to evacuate from its headquarters in Dhahran. It said the US State Department had ordered diplomats and family members to leave its missions in Saudi Arabia, and that the US embassy in Riyadh had issued a security alert about possible further Houthi attacks.

How we got here

• September 19: Qatar Standard reported that Houthi forces had fired missiles at Riyadh's airport, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
• October 10: Al Jazeera reported that the civil aviation authority said an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured more than 300.
• October 11: Qatar Standard reported that the Houthis warned airlines, travellers and airport workers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, citing The Straits Times.
• October 11: Al Jazeera reported that a projectile strike on the Riyadh airport killed one person and injured 11. House of Saud, citing Reuters via the Irish Examiner, reported that a projectile hit the tarmac beside parked aircraft at King Fahd airport, started a fire and caused no casualties.
• October 21: House of Saud reported that the attack on King Fahd International Airport took place on the evening of October 21, the same evening as the Shaybah incident.
• October 22: House of Saud reported that the authority first reported one death and later said the toll had risen to two.