Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam was struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi attack on Wednesday evening, officials confirmed.
The country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation announced in a statement that the rebel group directly targeted the airport, one of the kingdom’s major aviation hubs.
Eight people were hospitalized following the strike, with injuries ranging from what officials described as “mild to critical” in severity.
Authorities said they are still working to fully determine the extent of structural and operational damage caused by the attack.
The assault represents the latest in a sustained campaign of Houthi strikes against Saudi airports and key infrastructure amid renewed fighting in the region.
Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone that had been targeting Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield, with falling debris killing two people and injuring two others.
The Houthis have also repeatedly struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where an October 12 attack left 12 people dead and hundreds more injured.
Abha International Airport and multiple Saudi Aramco facilities have also been targeted as part of the rebel group’s widening offensive against Saudi infrastructure.
The escalating pattern of violence has drawn a direct response from Washington, with the State Department on Wednesday ordering nonessential U.S. government personnel and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
The State Department cited the risk of further violence, warning that “the hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate” area of conflict.
U.S. officials have moved to implement additional security precautions throughout Saudi Arabia as the frequency and lethality of Houthi attacks continues to grow.
The Houthis, long supported by Iran with weapons and financing, have used drones and missiles to strike deep into Saudi territory, repeatedly threatening both civilian and energy infrastructure.
