Indian killed in attack on desalination plant in Kuwait

This was the first Indian fatality in Kuwait since Israel and the US's military strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered the conflict in West Asia.

Published on: Mar 30, 2026, 11:12:04 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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An Indian national died in an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait, authorities said on Monday, as the total number of Indians killed in the West Asia conflict rose to eight.

Smoke rises from an area surrounding US Embassy following a strike, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Bayan, Kuwait. (REUTERS)

The Indian embassy in Doha confirmed the “tragic demise of an Indian national due to an attack on a desalination facility in Kuwait” on Sunday. “The Embassy is closely coordinating with the Kuwaiti authorities to render all possible support and assistance,” the embassy said on social media.

Kuwait’s electricity ministry said in a statement the power and water desalination plant “was attacked as part of the Iranian aggression” against the country, resulting in the death of an Indian worker and significant damage to a building.

Also read | Kuwait arrests more suspects linked to Hezbollah

This was the first Indian fatality in Kuwait since Israel and the US's military strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered the conflict in West Asia. More than a million Indians live in Kuwait, making up the largest expatriate community in the country.

Iran has warned it will target infrastructure such as power and desalination plants in neighbouring countries that host US military bases in retaliation for strikes on Iranian energy and other infrastructure.

Last week, an Indian national was killed and another was injured by debris from the interception of a missile at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday.

Another Indian national was killed in missile and drone attacks on the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on March 18.

Two more Indians died in an attack on an industrial area in Oman on March 13, and three seafarers died in attacks on merchant vessels in the early days of the conflict. One Indian citizen has also been reported missing.

Dozens of Indians, including workers and seafarers, have been injured in attacks in several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Iraq.

The Indian government has focused on the safety and security of 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asian countries during its outreach to the leadership of these states in recent days. Saudi Arabia and the UAE alone are home to about eight million Indians.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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