NEW DELHI, October 22 (Aalimi Nation) – India on Thursday condemned the attacks on a major airport and an oil field in Saudi Arabia that killed one Indian national and left several others injured, calling strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure "unacceptable".
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it "strongly" condemned "the continued attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia". It urged that such attacks stop immediately, conveyed condolences to the family of the Indian who died and wished a speedy recovery to those hurt.
What happened at Dammam airport
The first attack on Wednesday targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The MEA said one Indian national was killed and two Indians were injured there.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation gave a slightly different toll. It said two people were killed, including an Indian resident, and eight were injured. The injured included expatriates of several nationalities, among them Indians, Yemenis, Bangladeshis and a Nepali national, as well as a Saudi citizen. Some of the injured were said to be in serious condition.
Airport operations have since resumed, the authorities said, while damage is being assessed and security arrangements are under review.
The Shaybah oil field
A separate incident on Wednesday involved the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The Saudi Energy Ministry said air defences intercepted a drone aimed at a facility there. Debris from the interception set fire to a contractor's vehicle outside the facility's perimeter.
Two foreign workers, from the Philippines and Nepal, were killed, the ministry said, and two others were injured, including an Indian and a Pakistani national. The ministry said operations at the oil field were not affected. Across the two incidents, the MEA said, one Indian was killed and three were injured.
India's response
The MEA said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is in contact with Saudi authorities and will provide all possible assistance to the affected Indian nationals. It also reiterated India's solidarity with the Saudi government and people in safeguarding the kingdom's sovereignty, and said it hoped peace would return to the region soon.
The statement did not name those responsible for the attacks, and no responsibility had been established in the official accounts available on Thursday.
Background
The strikes come amid a series of attacks on Saudi aviation and energy facilities this month. Saudi authorities earlier reported attacks on Dammam airport, and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted earlier in October, killing three Saudi nationals and injuring several others. Yemen's Houthi group has claimed some earlier strikes on Saudi airports and oil infrastructure in the past. Responsibility for Wednesday's incidents had not been established.
The attacks have also raised concern for the large Indian expatriate community living and working in the kingdom.
Saudi authorities said they are assessing the damage at the airport and reviewing security. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has said it will stay in touch with the Saudi side, and further details on the condition of the injured Indian nationals are likely to be shared as they become available.
