At least 12 people, including two Bangladeshis, were killed and 309 others injured in a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Saturday night, according to Saudi authorities.
Following the attack on Saturday, October 10, many people were evacuated from the airport and surrounding areas.
Witnesses said at least 12 ambulances rushed towards the airport shortly after the incident. Saudi Arabia had not issued an official comment on the circumstances of the attack at the time of the initial reports. The country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation later confirmed the death toll and said the injured were receiving treatment at hospitals, with several in critical condition.
Local media reported that flights bound for Riyadh were diverted to other airports or cancelled following the attack. Authorities advised passengers to contact their respective airlines to confirm flight status before travelling to the airport.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The airport had also been targeted twice earlier in the week, in attacks that killed four people and injured several others.
However, the initial reports did not establish whether Saturday’s explosion was directly connected to the earlier attacks.
