Malaysia urges Umrah pilgrims to hold off travel after deadly Riyadh airport missile strike

SEPANG, Oct 12 — The Malaysian government has advised Muslims planning to undertake the Umrah pilgrimage to defer their travel to Saudi Arabia due to security concerns following a deadly missile strike at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated that while there have been no incidents in Makkah, the attack has raised alarms about the safety of Umrah pilgrims.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported among Malaysian citizens in the recent attack or a separate incident involving a projectile near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the Riyadh airport assault resulted in 12 deaths and 309 injuries, including nationals from four different countries. The fatalities were four Saudi citizens, two from Bangladesh, one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan.