An Indian worker was killed in an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait early on Monday, raising the number of Indian nationals killed in the West Asia war to at least eight.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water said in a post on X that the strike also damaged a service building at the facility, condemning it as a "sinful Iranian aggression" against the Gulf state. It added that technical and emergency response teams were dispatched immediately to contain the damage and ensure operations continued.
The latest death follows an incident last Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, where an Indian national was killed by falling debris after a ballistic missile was intercepted over Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy had said it was "closely working with the UAE authorities to provide all possible support and assistance."
The government said after an inter-ministerial meeting on Friday that seven Indian nationals had been killed in the Middle East conflict so far, with one still missing. Monday’s fatality takes the toll higher.
Elsewhere across the Gulf early on Monday, air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to Al Jazeera. Residents in Bahrain reported hearing multiple explosions, which security officials said were caused by missile interceptions.
The war, now entering its fifth week, began after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, triggering a wider regional escalation. Iranian forces have since retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure.
Despite talk of possible negotiations by US President Donald Trump, fighting has continued. Last week, Trump said he would pause threatened attacks on Iranian energy facilities for 10 days until April 6, while Iran warned it would retaliate against energy infrastructure across the Gulf if its own sites were hit.
Iran has also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz -- a critical shipping route for roughly 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas -- pushing up energy prices and causing upheaval in global markets.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has deployed US Marines to the region and is preparing to send thousands more troops, as the conflict shows little sign of easing.
Source: India Today