An American citizen is among the 12 people dead and 309 injured in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, which occurred on the afternoon of Saturday, October 10. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed the toll during the early hours of this Sunday and noted that some of the injured remain in critical condition.
According to the statement from GACA issued by the Saudi official agency SPA, the deceased include four citizens from Saudi Arabia, two from Bangladesh, and one each from the following countries: the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. The authority did not disclose the identities of the victims in that report.
The 309 injured are receiving care in several hospitals. The GACA indicated that the attack also caused material damage at the airport, the extent of which is still being assessed.
The airport has suspended its operations
The authorities temporarily suspended operations at the airport to inspect the facilities and ensure they met the necessary security conditions. The terminal advised passengers to check directly with their airlines regarding the status of their flights before heading to the location.
The attack on Saturday followed other violent episodes at the same airport during the week, which had also resulted in casualties and disruptions to air traffic. The figures from the latest statement refer to the attack on October 10, rather than a cumulative total of all those incidents.
Saudi Arabia blames the Houthis, and Marco Rubio condemns the attack
The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen attributed the attack to the Houthi rebels and stated that it targeted a passenger terminal. Its spokesperson, General Turki al Maliki, described it as a war crime and announced that the coalition would respond, according to statements released by Saudi Gazette.
The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, condemned the attacks against Saudi Arabia and noted that among the deceased was an American. In a statement released on X and reported by the Qatari state news agency, Rubio called for an end to the attacks and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, had claimed previous attacks on Saudi installations, but a specific claim regarding the attack on Saturday had not been confirmed.
The U.S. Department of State advises reconsidering travel to Saudi Arabia due to risks of armed conflict, terrorism, and missile or drone attacks. Those with flights to or from Riyadh should confirm their status with the airline before going to the airport.
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