RIYADH — Two people were killed and 12 injured after a military projectile struck a residential site in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kharj city on Sunday, the Saudi Civil Defence confirmed, as the US-Israel-Iran war entered its second week and continued to spill across the Gulf region .
The projectile hit a housing compound used by a maintenance and cleaning company in Al-Kharj Governorate, located south of the capital Riyadh, the Civil Defence said in a statement on X .
Casualties and Nationalities
Initial reports from Saudi authorities stated that the two fatalities were of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality . However, the Indian embassy in Riyadh subsequently issued a clarification, expressing relief that no Indian nationals were killed in the incident.
“It is a matter of relief that there has been no Indian fatality in the unfortunate incident at Al Kharj yesterday evening,” the Indian embassy posted on X . The mission confirmed that its Counsellor, Y. Sabir, visited Al-Kharj and met with an injured Indian national who is receiving treatment at a government hospital .
Following further verification, Saudi authorities updated their figures, confirming that both fatalities were Bangladeshi nationals. The 12 injured individuals were also identified as Bangladeshi residents .
Context of the Attack
The Saudi Civil Defence statement did not explicitly attribute the projectile to a specific source . However, the Al-Kharj area is home to the Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts US forces and has been repeatedly targeted in recent days by Iranian retaliatory strikes .
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously announced it was targeting radar systems in locations including Al-Kharj Governorate as part of its ongoing campaign against US and Israeli assets in response to the bombing of Iran .
The Saudi spokesperson condemned the attack, stressing that “attempts to target civilian facilities constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” .
Regional Spillover
Sunday’s incident marked the first reported deaths in Saudi Arabia since the conflict erupted on February 28 . The strike on Al-Kharj was part of a wider wave of Iranian retaliatory attacks across the Gulf that day.
- Riyadh Targeted: The Saudi Defence Ministry reported intercepting at least 15 drones, including an attempted attack on the diplomatic quarter in the capital, Riyadh .
- Kuwait: An attack hit fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport .
- Bahrain: A water desalination plant was reported damaged .
- UAE: Debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, resulting in the death of a Pakistani driver .
Broader Conflict Context
The strikes came after Israeli warplanes hit five oil facilities around the Iranian capital, blanketing the city in thick, toxic smoke and killing several people, according to state media . An IRGC spokesperson warned that if attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure continued, the world could see oil prices exceed $200 per barrel .
The Arab League condemned Iran’s attacks on member states as “reckless,” urging Tehran to reverse what it called a “massive strategic mistake” .
International Response
In response to the escalating threat, the US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks . The Indian embassy also issued an advisory urging its nationals to remain vigilant and strictly follow safety guidelines issued by local authorities .
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to soothe regional tensions, stating that his recent remarks were “misinterpreted by the enemy that seeks to sow division with neighbours.” He emphasized Iran’s desire for good relations with neighboring countries but asserted the right to retaliate against attacks [citation:original text].
The war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has now reportedly killed over 1,200 civilians in Iran and displaced hundreds of thousands across the region .
