Indian Driver Killed in Houthi Drone Strike at Dammam Airport
Kamlesh Pandey, an Indian bus driver from Gorakhpur, was killed in a Houthi drone attack on Dammam's King Fahd International Airport.
An Indian driver killed in Dammam following a drone and missile attack on King Fahd International Airport has left a family in Uttar Pradesh in mourning.
Kamlesh Pandey, a 37-year-old bus driver and ground staffer, was among those killed during the strike on October 21, 2026. The attack, which has been attributed to Iran-backed Houthi militants, has highlighted the growing volatility in the region.
A Tragic Loss for a Gorakhpur Family
Pandey, who hailed from the Bansgaon area of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, had been working at the Dammam airport facility for three years. He had recently returned to Saudi Arabia just five months ago to continue his employment. He is survived by his wife, Sunita, and two young daughters, aged 10 and 14.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh is currently providing assistance to the family to facilitate the repatriation of Pandey's remains to his home village of Kishunpur.
A Pattern of Attacks on Infrastructure
The strike at Dammam airport resulted in the death of one Saudi citizen and left eight others injured, including two Indian nationals. This incident follows a series of targeted strikes on critical infrastructure in the Kingdom:
- Shaybah Oilfield: A separate drone strike at Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield in the Eastern Province resulted in the deaths of a Filipino and a Nepali worker, while an Indian and a Pakistani national were injured.
- Riyadh Airport: On October 10, a missile attack at Terminal 3 of King Khalid International Airport killed 46-year-old Mohammed Yousuf Ali from Hyderabad, injuring his wife and three children.
Regional Impact and Flight Suspensions
India's Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the strikes, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal labeling the attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure as unacceptable.
The ongoing instability is significantly impacting the lives of the Indian diaspora. Major airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have implemented flight suspensions due to the security situation. This has necessitated complex repatriation efforts for stranded Umrah pilgrims through neighboring countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
The scale of the movement is significant, with official data indicating that over 300,000 Indians have returned home since February 28, 2026.