Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Kill Indian National

The Houthi Movement launched a series of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabian civilian and energy infrastructure on October 21, 2026. The strikes targeted the Saudi Aramco Shaybah oil field and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The airport attack killed two people—one Saudi citizen and one Indian national—and injured eight others, including citizens of India, Yemen, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

This escalation follows an October 11 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people, including an Indian technician from Hyderabad. In response to the instability, several Indian carriers, including Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air, cancelled flights, leaving thousands of Umrah pilgrims stranded in Makkah and Madina. AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi urged the Indian government to authorize larger aircraft to repatriate those stranded.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India and the governments of Egypt and Qatar strongly condemned the strikes. Indian officials stated that while 3,000 pilgrims have returned over the past week, diplomatic missions in Riyadh and Jeddah continue to coordinate with airlines to facilitate the remaining returns. Saudi authorities confirmed that operations at King Fahd International Airport have resumed following the material damage caused by the attack.