Chafa Boudar, an Algerian national who has resided in Saudi Arabia for 30 years, sustained injuries during an attack at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October 2026. Recounting the incident, she stated: "J’étais assise en train d’attendre dans la salle 3 de l’aérogare quand, subitement, j’ai entendu une forte explosion et j’ai vu mes pieds en sang." Describing the trauma of the event, Boudar added: "C’était un grand choc, la scène était terrifiante. Je n’arrive pas encore à m’en remettre. J’ai littéralement vu la mort." She further characterized the assault as a grave violation, noting: "C’est un acte ignoble, un acte criminel au sens propre du terme. Tuer des innocents, des enfants, les faibles et les pèlerins, c’est le plus ignoble des crimes."
Details of the Attack
Official reports from the incident at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh confirm that the explosion resulted in 13 deaths. Emergency services and medical responders also recorded over 300 injuries among those present in the terminal at the time of the blast. The sheer scale of the incident necessitated a massive mobilization of emergency resources to the site of the terminal to manage the high volume of casualties.
Medical teams at the hospital treated Chafa Boudar for severe trauma sustained during the explosion. Surgeons performed two separate operations on her left leg to repair extensive tissue damage. These procedures were necessary to address the severity of the wounds and to avoid the amputation of her limb. The medical staff focused on stabilizing her condition immediately following her arrival at the facility, where she remained under specialized care to monitor the progress of her recovery. The surgical interventions were critical in addressing the complex nature of the injuries caused by the blast at King Khaled International Airport.
The security situation in the region remains under scrutiny following a separate incident. On 7 October 2026, an Algerian national was killed during an attack at Abha airport in Saudi Arabia. Authorities have not provided further details regarding the circumstances of that specific event. The proximity of these two incidents has heightened concerns regarding safety protocols at transportation hubs within the country.
Chafa Boudar, having lived in Saudi Arabia for three decades, expressed profound distress regarding the vulnerability of civilians in such public spaces. Her account of the events at King Khaled International Airport notes the sudden and chaotic nature of the explosion, which left hundreds of travelers and personnel struggling to navigate the aftermath. As medical professionals continue to provide care for the survivors, the recovery process for those like Boudar remains a significant challenge, both physically and psychologically. The authorities continue to evaluate the security implications of the attacks at both King Khaled International Airport and the facility in Abha, as the investigation into the perpetrators and the methods used in both strikes proceeds. For now, the focus remains on the treatment of the 300-plus injured individuals and the identification of those who lost their lives in the 10 October 2026 explosion.
