Dammam: Three people were killed and ten others injured in separate incidents involving King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and the Shaybah oilfield in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 21, amid growing security concerns over attacks on the country's aviation and energy facilities.
One person was killed and eight others were injured in an attack at King Fahd International Airport, according to reports citing Saudi authorities. The incident caused material damage at the airport, and some flights were diverted. The full extent of the damage and the duration of the disruption were not immediately clear.
In a separate incident at the Shaybah oilfield in eastern Saudi Arabia, two people were killed after air defence systems intercepted a drone targeting a facility operated by Saudi Aramco, the country's state owned oil company.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said debris from the intercepted drone caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle outside the facility perimeter. Two people died and two others were injured in the incident.
The two people killed at Shaybah were Filipino and Nepali nationals. The injured were Indian and Pakistani nationals. The ministry said oilfield operations were not affected by the incident.
Responsibility for the latest incidents remained unclear in reports available on Thursday. Although Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi targets in recent days, the available information did not establish that the group carried out both of Wednesday's incidents.
On October 19, the Houthis claimed attacks on several Saudi targets, including the Shaybah oilfield and airports in Riyadh and Abha. These claims had not been independently verified in the reports reviewed. They provide background to the current security situation but do not establish responsibility for the latest incidents.
Saudi Arabia has faced a series of reported attacks on aviation facilities in recent weeks. Earlier incidents involving airports in Riyadh and Abha raised concerns about the safety of civilian transport infrastructure and the potential impact on travel.
The country's energy infrastructure is also a significant concern because Saudi Arabia is a major oil producer. Any sustained disruption to oil facilities or transport routes could affect regional energy supplies and international markets. However, the Energy Ministry said operations at Shaybah continued without disruption following the latest incident.
The United States has also taken security measures amid the worsening situation. Reports on Thursday said Washington had ordered certain non emergency government personnel and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. The measure did not amount to an order for all American citizens to leave the country.
Oil prices rose during early trading on Thursday amid wider concerns about regional escalation and possible disruption to energy supplies. The market movement reflected broader uncertainty and could not be attributed solely to the two latest incidents.
Further clarification from Saudi authorities is needed on the circumstances of the airport attack and responsibility for both incidents. While the reported deaths and injuries have been established, the available information does not confirm that the Houthis carried out both attacks.
The incidents highlight the security challenges facing Saudi Arabia as attacks on aviation and energy infrastructure raise concerns about public safety, transport operations and regional stability.