Kathmandu on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the death of a Nepali citizen in Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned the drone attack on the Shaybah oil field. In a social media post, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a Nepali citizen in debris falling from an intercepted drone attack at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field on Wednesday," extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

The ministry reiterated what it called Nepal's unequivocal condemnation of all attacks targeting civilians and critical infrastructure, and restated the country's position that disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, negotiation and diplomatic engagement, according to the IANS report from Kathmandu on October 22.

According to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy, Saudi air defences on Wednesday morning intercepted a drone that was attempting to strike a facility at the Shaybah oil field. Debris from the interception fell onto a contractor's vehicle outside the facility's perimeter and triggered a fire. Two foreign nationals — one Nepali and one Filipino — were killed, while two others, a Pakistani and an Indian, were injured, the ministry said. The Saudi statement did not say who launched the drone, and the identities of the dead and injured have not been released.

Source: The Kathmandu Post via Hamro Patro

Shaybah is one of Saudi Aramco's major oil fields. The Energy Ministry said operations at the field were not affected by the attempted attack. For Nepal, whose citizens form a large part of the Gulf's migrant workforce, the death underlines the risks faced by Nepali workers in the region; Kathmandu's statement did not announce any further steps, and no official identification of the deceased worker had been made public by Thursday.