(Image caption: Saudi taekwondo athlete Sabah Al Assiri was injured in the October 10 attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi taekwondo athlete Sabah Al Assiri has vowed to return stronger after suffering serious arm injuries in an attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10.
Al Assiri was among 309 people reported injured in the strike. She was returning from a championship, where she had won a gold medal, when the incident occurred.
Athlete Recalls Moments of the Attack
Speaking to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health, Al Assiri recalled sitting at the airport with her father and asking him whether they should go for a walk while waiting to board their flight. Her father declined, saying their departure was approaching.
She later raised her phone to look at it when an explosion occurred, causing the device to fly away.
Al Assiri said her immediate concern was protecting herself. She used her arm to shield herself and felt something pierce it. When she opened her eyes, she saw that her arm had been severely torn open.
She then ran to safety, reportedly among the first people to escape the area.
More Surgeries Planned
Doctors have performed an initial operation to repair the bones in her injured arm. She is expected to undergo two more surgeries as part of her treatment.
Despite the injuries, Al Assiri expressed determination to recover and return to her sport.
“Inshallah I’ll be treated and will come back stronger. Nothing stops us,” she said.
Her father also spoke to the health authority, expressing gratitude that his daughter had returned home with a gold medal from the championship she had attended.
Airport Attack Disrupts Travel
The attack on King Khalid International Airport and subsequent strikes targeting the Saudi aviation hub reportedly caused widespread travel disruption, with airport operations suspended.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group claimed responsibility for the October 10 strike, according to the report. The attacks followed intensified fighting linked to territorial developments in neighbouring Yemen.
On October 13, Saudi Arabia targeted an oil facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the operation targeted a fuel depot and other sites to reduce the group’s ability to threaten Saudi Arabia, Yemen and international waterways.
The escalating confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has also been linked in the report to the wider US-Iran conflict, which was described as being in its eighth month.
