FALLING DEBRIS from an intercepted drone targeting a Saudi Arabian oil field killed one Filipino and one Nepali and injured two others, Saudi’s Energy ministry said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Ministry of Energy said the two people injured were Pakistani and Indian nationals, respectively.
Saudi air defense forces successfully halted an attempted drone attack on the Saudi Arabian Oil Co.’s Shaybah oil field, the ministry added. A contractor’s vehicle parked outside the perimeter also reportedly caught fire during the incident, with no impact on operations.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Separately, DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac on Thursday said no Filipinos were injured in the attack on Dammam’s international airport.
The Saudi Aviation Authority announced early Thursday that an attack on King Fahd International Airport on Wednesday evening killed one Saudi resident and injured eight others.
Saudi authorities did not provide more details about the attack.
“No Pinoys have been reported injured [following the attack on King Fahd International Airport], and we are continuing to monitor the situation,” Mr. Cacdac told DZMM Radyo Patrol 630.
The two incidents are the latest in a series of assaults on Saudi airports, energy facilities and military bases amid intensifying conflicts between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
As of writing, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the Dammam attack.
On Oct. 11, Houthi projectile strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International injured seven Filipinos, three of whom were in critical condition and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Two of the three have since been moved to the burn unit, the DMW said in a statement Wednesday. One Filipino remains in the ICU, but the DMW said they are now conscious and register a 15/15 on the Glasgow Coma Scale.
The DMW has also successfully repatriated 199 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi and provided financial aid to 2,061 OFWs in the Kingdom throughout the conflict. — Francessca S. Abalos