One killed, 8 injured in Saudi airport attack amid US order for diplomats to leave

Fire and smoke rise near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, after an attack on October 11, 2026

A Saudi resident was killed and eight others were injured when an attack struck King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, late on Wednesday, according to the country's Civil Aviation Authority.The airport, located on the Persian Gulf near Bahrain and Qatar, also sustained material damage, the authority said early on Thursday. Flightradar24, a global flight-tracking service, said on X that aircraft were being diverted away from the airport following the incident.Saudi authorities have not identified those responsible for the attack or disclosed further details. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also not commented on the incident.

Saudi Arabia reports drone interceptions

The attack comes amid a wider series of strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, including attacks on airports, shipping routes and energy infrastructure. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted four drone attacks in the kingdom's eastern region.King Fahd International Airport has previously been targeted during waves of Houthi missile and projectile attacks on major Saudi airports.The latest incident follows another deadly attack in the country's south-east.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said debris from a drone intercepted by the country's defences killed two people and injured two others at an oil field operated by Aramco.The two people killed were nationals of Nepal and the Philippines, while the injured were from Pakistan and India, the ministry said.

US orders diplomats to leave

The United States ordered some of its diplomats and the family members of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia late on Wednesday.

The move followed a series of deadly attacks attributed to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and growing concerns that the conflict could escalate further.The latest violence has raised concerns about the security of Saudi Arabia's critical infrastructure, particularly its oil facilities and transport hubs.Last month, debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident in Saudi Arabia. It was the first civilian death reported since the rebels intensified their attacks against the kingdom, targeting Saudi shipping and oil installations.Earlier this month, a limited fire broke out at an administrative building at Aramco, one of the world's largest oil facilities, following an attack in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, the Energy Ministry said at the time.