Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12, Injures 309; GACA Confirms Multinational Casualties

RIYADH, Oct 11: Twelve people were killed and 309 others were injured in Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced early Sunday.

According to GACA, the fatalities included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

The authority said 309 people were injured in the attack, with several reported to be in critical condition. All the injured are receiving medical treatment at hospitals.

GACA expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery. It also confirmed that the attack caused property damage, adding that assessments were underway to determine the full extent of the destruction.

The attack prompted the temporary suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport as authorities assessed the damage and checked the safety of airport facilities. The suspension was intended to allow emergency response teams and relevant agencies to complete their assessments and ensure the safety of passengers, airport personnel and civil aviation infrastructure.

In its initial statement, GACA had reported injuries but said the full casualty toll was still being determined. Its latest announcement provided the updated figures for fatalities and injuries.

The attack came just two days after three Saudi citizens were killed and several others injured in two separate attacks on the same airport on Thursday, raising further concerns over the security of the kingdom's aviation infrastructure.