The United States issued a security alert on Oct. 17 for U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia, warning of possible further attacks on airports and urging extreme caution when traveling by air.
U.S. security alert and airport guidance
“U.S. citizens are reminded to follow the guidance of national alerts released by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense via cellular broadcast. U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization from the Chief of Mission to use any airport in Saudi Arabia following recent missile and UAV attacks on airports in the Kingdom,” the advisory read.
Operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport remain suspended following recent missile and drone strikes. The closure was extended by 24 hours, until 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.
Civil aviation authorities said the latest attack on the international airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and injured over 300 others, with some in critical condition, early Sunday. A Saudi-led coalition blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the strike. The authorities said it was the deadliest attack in any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war.
A regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said a missile struck a King Khalid International Airport complex housing terminals 3 and 4 for domestic flights. Saudi authorities said the dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. The injured were being treated at several hospitals.
Footage posted on social media following the attack and analyzed by The Associated Press shows emergency vehicles outside the airport.
The King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained suspended, the U.S. Mission confirmed. In Dammam, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport were operating, although both continued experiencing some delays and cancellations.
