The incident at Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field did not affect operations.
Three residents of Saudi Arabia were killed in two separate attacks in the Eastern Province and Dammam on Wednesday, October 21, authorities said, amid escalating hostilities involving the Iran-backed Houthi group in neighbouring Yemen.
Overnight, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said it had intercepted and destroyed four drones in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabia has faced sustained attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis this month, including a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that was described as the kingdom’s deadliest in years. The conflict has intensified following the collapse in June of a four-year truce in Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015.
Debris falls at Shaybah oil field
Saudi air defences intercepted a drone attempting to target a processing facility at Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province on Wednesday morning, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement.
An official source at the ministry said two residents, a Filipino and a Nepali, were killed and two others, a Pakistani and an Indian, were injured by falling debris after the interception. The relevant authorities responded to the incident and took the necessary measures, the source added.
Following the interception, a fire broke out in a vehicle belonging to a contractor operating at the oil field, outside the facility’s perimeter. Operations were not affected.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it had learnt that an Indian national was injured in the incident and was in contact with Saudi authorities while awaiting further details.
“We will provide all necessary help to the injured Indian national,” the embassy said.
Attack on King Fahd International Airport
Early on Thursday, October 22, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam had been targeted in an attack on Wednesday evening.
One resident was killed and eight others injured in the attack, with injuries ranging from minor to critical.
“The attack also caused property damage, the extent of which is currently being assessed. Further updates will be provided,” the Saudi authority said.
According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, operations at the airport have been halted since approximately 11.15pm local time on Wednesday. However, Saudi authorities had not officially announced a suspension of airport operations.
