Drone debris kills two near Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oilfield

Saudi air defences intercepted a drone attempting to strike a facility at the Shaybah oilfield, and falling debris killed two people and injured two others, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said Wednesday, October 21. The debris hit a contractor’s vehicle outside the facility, starting a fire, the ministry said. The ministry identified those killed as a Filipino national and a Nepali national. The injured were Indian and Pakistani nationals. It said authorities responded and took necessary measures, and that the incident did not affect operations at the oilfield. Shaybah is in southeastern Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, near the border with the United Arab Emirates. The ministry said the drone was attempting to target a facility at the oilfield, which is operated by Saudi Aramco. It did not identify who launched the drone, and the reports do not establish responsibility for the incident. The event comes amid renewed hostilities involving Yemen’s Houthi group and Saudi Arabia. Reports have described Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, but those broader tensions do not identify the launcher of the drone intercepted at Shaybah. Separately, the US State...