Two people were killed and two others were injured after debris from an intercepted drone fell near a Saudi Aramco facility at the Shaiba oil field in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
The drone was targeting a processing plant at the field, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said. The debris fell outside the perimeter of the facility and set fire to a contractor's vehicle working on the site.
„The attempted attack resulted in the deaths of two people – a Filipino and a Nepalese national – and wounding two others“, the ministry said.The injured are citizens of Pakistan and India. The ministry said that the competent authorities responded to the scene and took the necessary measures. According to official data, the incident did not affect operations in the oil field.
Seven drones were intercepted
The Saudi coalition, which supports the internationally recognized government of Yemen, announced that a total of seven drones were intercepted on October 21, targeting various areas of Saudi Arabia. Among the locations indicated are the Eastern Province, the Medina region and the southern parts of the country.
Saudi authorities did not say who launched the drone at Shaybah. The attack comes amid increased attacks on Saudi airports and energy facilities, which Saudi Arabia and the United States link to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have not publicly claimed responsibility for the specific incident at the oil field.
Shaybah is one of the key oil fields operated by Saudi Aramco. It is located deep in the Rub al-Khali desert, near the border with the United Arab Emirates. Despite the falling debris and the fire in the vehicle, production and other activities at the site have continued.
Sources: apnews.com, thenationalnews.com, aa.com.tr