Dammam Airport Attack Kills One as US Orders Staff Out

One person died and eight were hurt when King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was attacked Wednesday evening. Saudi aviation officials said the injured were taken to hospital and the airport was damaged, but gave no details about the weapon or who carried out the strike. Flights were diverted overnight, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. ^2,9

The lack of detail leaves the cause of the airport attack unclear. The Houthis, a Yemeni movement fighting Saudi Arabia and its allies, have not claimed responsibility for this strike. Saudi coalition forces said they stopped four drones in the Eastern Province, while US officials linked a wider rise in attacks to the Houthis. On Wednesday, the US ordered embassy staff not needed for emergencies and their families to leave Saudi Arabia. ^1,9

That order followed another deadly incident at Shaybah oil field, near the United Arab Emirates border. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said debris from a drone aimed at the site, which was stopped, killed two people, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injured two others. The ministry did not say who launched the drone. Together, the airport and oil-site incidents show how attacks and interceptions can put civilians at risk and disrupt travel and energy operations. ^1,4

Those disruptions now include diverted flights from Dammam and the US decision to reduce its diplomatic presence in the kingdom. Saudi officials are still checking the airport damage, and the aviation authority said it would provide further updates. The Houthis have not commented on the Dammam attack, so responsibility for that strike remains unclear. ^2,9