Riyadh airport attacks reported to kill three Saudi citizens

Three Saudi citizens were killed and several people of other nationalities were injured in two reported attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Middle East Eye reported on Oct. 9. The outlet said one attack targeted airport facilities and another struck a Saudi Airlines aircraft on the ground.²

Casualties and aircraft damage

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority reported that the three dead were Saudi citizens, according to Middle East Eye. It also reported injuries to several non-Saudis, with severity varying from slight to severe, and said Saudia had confirmed the death of one staff member.²

The Saudi Airlines aircraft hit in the second attack was damaged while on the ground and had no passengers aboard, Middle East Eye reported. Its headline referred to four deaths, while the report’s claims specify three Saudi citizens killed and a Saudia employee’s death; the dossier does not resolve whether these accounts refer to four separate people.²

Airport operations

Flights and airport operations resumed on Thursday after the attacks, according to Middle East Eye. On Oct. 10, however, The New York Times reported that flights were being diverted from Riyadh Airport and described the airport as having come under attack again.²¹

The New York Times attributed the attacks to the Houthis after days of strikes and described the group as an Iran-backed militia based in Yemen. That attribution is reported by the newspaper; the dossier provides no further details on the attacks’ method, timing or responsibility claims.¹