Saudi Arabia Al Kharj attack: Indian embassy clarifies no Indian killed in strike

Initial fears of an Indian fatality after a projectile strike in Saudi Arabia’s Al Kharj governorate were dispelled on Sunday, with the Indian Embassy confirming that the only Indian national involved in the incident survived and is currently receiving medical treatment.

In a statement posted on X, the Embassy said there had been no Indian deaths in the attack and that officials had already contacted Saudi authorities and the injured national.

“It is a matter of relief that there has been no Indian fatality in the unfortunate incident at Al Kharj yesterday evening. The Embassy has been in touch with the concerned Saudi authorities regarding this issue. Counsellor (CW) Shri Y. Sabir visited Al Kharj last night and met the injured Indian national involved in this unfortunate incident. He is currently receiving treatment at a government hospital in Al Kharj.”

What happened in Al Kharj

The clarification came after earlier reports indicated that an Indian national was among those killed when a projectile struck a residential area in Al Kharj, south of Riyadh, according to AFP.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency said a “military projectile” hit a residential site in the governorate, killing two people and injuring twelve others.

“A military munition fell on a residential site, resulting in two deaths and (12) injuries among residents in Al-Kharj Governorate.” the agency said in its initial statement.

A subsequent update from the Saudi civil defence agency corrected the nationalities of the casualties following verification.

“Following up on the initial statement regarding the direct fall of a military projectile on a residential site in Al-Kharj Governorate, and after completing all final procedures, it has been determined that the two fatalities are of Bangladeshi nationality, (11) injured persons of Bangladeshi nationality, and (1) injured person of Indian nationality.”

Earlier, the agency had said an Indian and a Bangladeshi national were killed when the projectile struck the residential area. The statement describing the incident did not name Iran directly.

However, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said earlier on Sunday that they had targeted radar systems in locations including Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kharj.

Strategic importance of Al Kharj

Al Kharj hosts one of Saudi Arabia’s major air bases and has come under repeated attacks in recent days as Iran expands missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region.

The strikes are part of Iran’s retaliation following the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic.