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Attacks on two Saudi Arabian international airports this week killed three people, including foreign nationals, and wounded at least 36 others, the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said Wednesday, as the agency confirmed emergency crews had restored operations following what it described as attacks on airport facilities.
GACA said in a statement that Abha International Airport was struck on Tuesday, October 6, and King Khalid International Airport was struck on Wednesday, October 7.
The authority said emergency response teams and relevant agencies moved immediately to deal with the incidents, in coordination with concerned parties and according to approved procedures and plans. The statement did not identify who was responsible for either attack.
At Abha airport, two residents, one of Moroccan nationality and one of Algerian nationality, were killed, GACA said. The attack also wounded 28 people of Bangladeshi and Filipino nationality, the statement said, adding that two of the wounded were in critical condition.
The attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed one Sudanese resident, according to the authority. Eight other people were wounded, including five Saudi nationals, two Egyptian residents and one Pakistani resident, with two of them listed in critical condition.
GACA said all those injured in both attacks were immediately transferred to hospitals to receive the necessary medical care. The statement said the attacks caused some material damage but did not elaborate further.
The authority said it continues to work in full coordination with relevant security agencies to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and employees and to maintain the security of the kingdom's civil aviation system.
Abha International Airport, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, has in the past been the target of cross-border attacks linked to the conflict in Yemen. King Khalid International Airport, in the capital Riyadh, is one of the busiest air hubs in the region.
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