Deadly attack on Saudi airport in Dammam as US orders staff out of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on the evening of 21 October killed two people and wounded eight, and that operations later returned to normal. Separately, the Energy Ministry said debris from a drone intercepted over Aramco's Shaybah oilfield killed two people.Sources:1Al Jazeera (Reuters): Attack on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd airport kills two people, Al Jazeera (Reuters), 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)2UPI: 2 killed in attack on airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, UPI, 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)3CBS News: Iran War Updates: U.S. reduces troop footprint in Mideast as indirect talks with Iran continue, CBS News, 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)

Responsibility is reported differently. Al Jazeera, carrying Reuters, said the Houthis claimed a series of attacks over 48 hours on Saudi airports, the defence ministry in Riyadh and Aramco facilities. UPI reported that the Houthis had not claimed the Dammam attack and that Saudi officials did not say who was responsible.Sources:1Al Jazeera (Reuters): Attack on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd airport kills two people, Al Jazeera (Reuters), 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)2UPI: 2 killed in attack on airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, UPI, 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)

The US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, and spokesperson Tommy Pigott cited Houthi attacks. Reuters and AFP, citing sources, reported that Aramco told staff to leave its Dhahran headquarters. Earlier strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid airport killed 12 people on 10 October, according to Saudi authorities cited by Reuters.Sources:1Al Jazeera (Reuters): Attack on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd airport kills two people, Al Jazeera (Reuters), 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)2UPI: 2 killed in attack on airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, UPI, 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)3CBS News: Iran War Updates: U.S. reduces troop footprint in Mideast as indirect talks with Iran continue, CBS News, 22 October 2026 (source, opens in a new tab)