Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN DESK
RIYADH (Oct 7): Three foreign nationals have been killed and 36 people injured after coordinated aerial attacks struck two major commercial airports in Saudi Arabia over a 48-hour period.
The strikes hit Abha International Airport in the kingdom’s south-west and King Khalid International Airport outside the capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to statements released by the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) via the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The deadliest assault unfolded at Abha, where two expatriate women—one Moroccan and one Algerian—were killed. Another 28 people sustained wounds ranging from minor cuts to severe trauma, with aviation officials confirming that the casualties included Saudi citizens as well as Bangladeshi and Filipino nationals.
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In Riyadh, a Sudanese resident died after terminal facilities at King Khalid International came under fire. Eight others were injured in the capital, comprising five Saudi nationals, two Egyptian residents, and a Pakistani national. Emergency services deployed immediately to both tarmacs, transferring dozens of wounded travellers and ground personnel to nearby hospitals, where several remain in critical condition.
The aviation authority confirmed that both hubs suffered structural and material damage, prompting emergency inspections and immediate reviews of ground safety protocols. While Saudi civil aviation officials did not directly name the perpetrators in their initial casualty bulletin, Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the operations, asserting that armed drones and ballistic missiles were deployed against both installations.
The latest incidents follow strikes earlier in the week against regional airfields in Jizan and Najran, signalling a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities that threatens civilian air corridors across the Gulf. Technical teams and security agencies remain at both sites to determine the extent of the damage and reinforce perimeter defences.
Copyright YeJahan News Network, 2026
