At least 20 people were killed in a series of attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid and Abha international airports in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province last week, as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels stepped up attacks on the kingdom.
The victims include a Saudi airline pilot, an Egyptian flight attendant and a Syrian widowed mother of four. Saudi and foreign citizens were among the dead, while hundreds of people have been injured, Saudi authorities say.
Among those killed in Saturday’s attack in Riyadh were four Saudis and eight foreign citizens. The death toll from that strike rose to 13 after an injured Indian citizen was confirmed dead. A Pakistani citizen was killed in a separate attack on Sunday, Saudi authorities said, while 11 were injured. The foreign victims included two Bangladeshis and citizens of the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.
More than 300 people were wounded in Saturday's attack, the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade. This marks a sharp escalation in the war in Yemen, where Riyadh has long militarily supported the internationally recognised government in its battle against the Houthis, raising fears the fighting could widen and draw in American forces.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday his country was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis in the conflict, a spillover from the wider war with Iran that the US and Israel launched in February.
Details about some of those killed have emerged through official statements, diplomatic missions and reports from their families.
The victims
Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, Saudi Arabia
Capt Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, a pilot with Saudi Arabia’s national carrier Saudia, was among three Saudi citizens killed in attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport last Thursday. The airline confirmed his death in a statement. Saudi authorities said airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft had been struck.
Azza Ramzy, Egypt
Azza Ramzy, 28, worked as a flight attendant for Saudi airline flynas. She died from injuries sustained in Saturday’s attack, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty directed the Egyptian embassy and the general consulate in Riyadh to expedite the transfer of her body to Egypt. Egyptian media reported that she was from Beheira governorate, in the north of the country.
Buthaina Ahmad Oweida, Syria
Buthaina Ahmad Oweida, a widowed mother of four, had lived in Saudi Arabia for five years and was based in Makkah. She lost contact with her family on Saturday while returning from Riyadh, where she had been visiting her sister. Her brother told Syria’s state-run news agency Sana that the Syrian consul later informed him of her death, citing official confirmation from the Saudi government. The Syrian embassy in Riyadh said she was killed in an attack on King Khalid International Airport.
Talal Al Dani, Palestine
Talal Al Dani was among those killed in Saturday’s attack, according to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry. The Palestinian embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was handling arrangements concerning his body and providing support to his family.
Mohammed Yusuf Ali, India
Ali, from Hyderabad, was travelling with his family on an Umrah pilgrimage when he was injured in Saturday’s attack. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed his death on Sunday and said it was in contact with his family to help arrange the repatriation of his remains.
Footage released by Saudi state television of the attack on the Riyadh airport on Saturday showed scores of religious pilgrims lined up at a gate as they prepared to travel to Islam's two holiest sites, Makkah and Madinah. A bright orange flash sent people running in panic, while parts of the roof appeared to cave in.
The airport was closed after the attack. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation has since extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until midnight on Tuesday.