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Three residents of Saudi Arabia were killed in two separate targeting incidents in the Eastern Province and Dammam on Wednesday, October 21, authorities said, as attacks on the kingdom have intensified since an escalation of hostilities with the Iran-backed Houthi group in neighbouring Yemen.
Overnight, the Saudi-led Coalition which fights Houthis in Yemen announced intercepting and destroying four drones in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabia has this month come under sustained attack from the Iran-aligned Houthis, including a strike on Riyadh's international airport that was the kingdom's deadliest in years, as the war with the group escalates. In June, a four-year-old truce in Yemen's civil war collapsed, reviving the conflict that dates back to 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has backed the internationally recognised government since 2015.
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Debris falling in Shaybah oil field
At Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province, air defences intercepted a drone attempting to target a processing facility on Wednesday morning, the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced in a statement.
An official source at the ministry said the attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two residents, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others, a Pakistani and an Indian, due to falling debris after the interception. The source explained that the relevant authorities responded to the incident and took the necessary measures.
Following the interception, a fire broke out in a vehicle belonging to a contractor operating at the oil field, outside the facility's perimeter, with no impact on operations.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said it has learnt that one Indian national was injured in the attack and is in touch with Saudi authorities and awaits further details. "We will provide all necessary help to the injured Indian national," it said.
Attack on King Fahd Airport
Early on Thursday, October 22, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was targeted by an attack Wednesday evening.
A resident was killed and eight others sustained injuries. Injuries range 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 stated.
According to Flightradar 24, which monitors airports and flights worldwide, operations at the airport have been halted since approximately 23.15 local time. No official Saudi announcement that operations had been halted at the airport was issued.