New Delhi: An Indian national was among two people killed in an attack on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and two other Indians were injured, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said the airport, in the kingdom's eastern oil city, was targeted on Wednesday evening. The two killed were a Saudi citizen and an Indian resident, it said. Eight people were injured, a group that included two Indian residents, two Yemeni, two Bangladeshi and one Nepali resident, and one Saudi citizen, with injuries ranging from minor to severe.
The Indian Embassy said it was gathering further details and reaching out to the affected families. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the deceased and we wish speedy recovery of the injured," it said in a post.
The civil aviation authority said airport operations had resumed and air traffic had returned to normal, while the extent of damage was still being assessed. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said flights were diverted from the airport overnight.
The attack is the latest in a wave of strikes on Saudi infrastructure. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said air defences intercepted a drone aimed at a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield on Wednesday morning; debris killed two people and injured two others. The Indian Embassy said one Indian national was injured in that incident and that it would provide all help.
The US State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency government employees and their families from Saudi Arabia, citing security concerns and blaming the Iran-backed Houthis for attacks on civilian airports. The Indian Embassy has advised nationals to follow safety instructions issued by Saudi authorities.