Two people, a Filipino and a Nepali national, were killed and two others, including an Indian, were injured on Wednesday after falling debris from an intercepted drone struck an oil facility operated by
Saudi Aramco in south-eastern Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said the drone was targeting the Shaybah oil field, located near the border with the United Arab Emirates. The ministry did not identify who launched the drone.
“The attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a Filipino and a Nepali, and injuries to two others,” the ministry said in a statement.
The two injured people were Pakistani and Indian nationals, according to the ministry. The falling debris also sparked a fire in a contractor’s vehicle at the facility.
Saudi Oil Facilities Face Repeated Attacks
The incident comes amid a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s airports and energy infrastructure attributed to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Last month, debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed a Yemeni resident in Saudi Arabia, marking the first civilian fatality since the group stepped up attacks on the kingdom, according to reports.
Earlier this month, a limited fire broke out in an administrative building at an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province following an attack, the Energy Ministry said.
The latest incident comes as renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has intensified the conflict in Yemen following the collapse of a four-year truce.
US Orders Embassy Staff To Leave
Washington has ordered non-essential US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia amid the continuing attacks, the US State Department said on Wednesday.
US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the decision was linked to Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including strikes targeting airports.
“The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them,” Pigott wrote on X.
This is inaccurate. The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia only.
Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on… https://t.co/yNrCwDcfIg
— Tommy Pigott (@statedeptspox) October 21, 2026
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which had been struck multiple times and shut on October 10, resumed domestic flights on Wednesday. However, several international airlines have cancelled services to the region.
(With inputs from agencies)
