Saudi oil field drone attack kills 2, injures Pakistani and Indian workers

A drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia’s major oil infrastructure has killed two foreign workers and injured Pakistani and Indian nationals, raising fresh concerns over security at the Kingdom’s energy facilities.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, a Filipino and a Nepali national were killed in the incident at the Shaybah oil field, while one Pakistani and one Indian national sustained injuries.

The attack occurred when Saudi air defence systems intercepted a drone attempting to strike a facility at the Aramco-operated oil field, officials said.

Despite the casualties, operations at the Shaybah oil field were not affected, the ministry confirmed. The facility is a significant part of Saudi Arabia’s oil production infrastructure, making security around the site particularly important.

The incident highlights the risks faced by foreign workers employed at energy facilities across the Gulf, where oil installations remain strategically important and potential targets amid regional security tensions.

In a separate development, the Saudi-led military coalition said four drones had been destroyed in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Officials did not provide further details about the intended targets of the intercepted drones.

Saudi air defence systems have continued monitoring and responding to aerial threats as authorities work to protect critical infrastructure and populated areas. However, the latest incident demonstrates that even when an attempted strike is intercepted, falling debris or other consequences can still pose a danger to workers on the ground.

The deaths of the Filipino and Nepali nationals, alongside injuries to Pakistani and Indian workers, underscore the human cost of attacks targeting vital energy infrastructure.

Further details about the circumstances of the incident, the identities of those affected and the origin of the drone were not immediately available in the supplied report.

Authorities have not reported any disruption to operations at the Shaybah oil field following the incident.