The Associated Press reports this, citing Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authorities.
What is known about the attack on the airport?
Among the dead were four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi citizens, as well as citizens of Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan. All of the injured were rushed to several local hospitals, as some of them are in critical condition.
Terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, were damaged by a direct rocket strike. Security personnel blocked the entrances to the airport, and all scheduled departures and arrivals were rerouted to other aviation hubs in the country.
Official diplomatic missions from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada issued urgent advisories urging their citizens to avoid visiting the airport area.
Although no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, Saudi Arabian authorities stated that a ballistic missile had been intercepted in the province of Al-Kharj. The coalition fighting the group called the attack “a full-fledged war crime” and promised a strong response. They added that there are no military facilities at the airport.
In addition, a shell was reported to have landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
This latest attack came amid a significant escalation of fighting between the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. Last week, coalition forces launched a large-scale offensive against the rebels, who had seized new territories along the Red Sea coast.
Donald Trump stated that he is considering the possibility of involving U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia’s strikes against the Houthis. According to him, a final decision will be made after an assessment of the security situation in the region is completed.
According to the Associated Press, a series of attacks on Saudi airports, military facilities, and oil infrastructure has heightened concerns about the safety of regional shipping.
Due to a reduction in U.S. stocks of interceptor missiles, Saudi Arabia has officially requested assistance in strengthening its air defense from France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Egypt.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that on October 7, the Houthis had already carried out attacks on two airports in southern Saudi Arabia, which also resulted in injuries.