NIZAMABAD: A Ukrainian missile attack near the border with Russia has reportedly left a man from the erstwhile Nizamabad district dead, two men missing and another grievously injured.
The incident came to light after the injured man, Sirisu Ashok of Pedda Walgoat village in Sirikonda mandal, sent a voice message to his family. According to the voice message, four men from the erstwhile Nizamabad district had been stranded in Russia after joining the Russian Army and being deployed near the Ukraine border. The other three were identified as Meghawath Prakash of Dammannapet village in Dharpally mandal, Bhukya Ravinder of Munipally tanda in Jakranpally mandal and Afzal Khan of Tadkol village in Banswada mandal. Ashok said Afzal had died. However, the death has not been confirmed by his family or officials.
Ashok claimed he could not provide details about the whereabouts of the other two men or confirm whether they had reached the border or returned to Hyderabad. He further said they had collected `4 lakh and were trying to arrange their return.
Describing his condition as critical, Ashok appealed for help, saying he was unable to fully convey the severity of his injuries and the distressing circumstances they were facing.
Their families have urged the Nizamabad Rural MLA to ask the chief minister to intervene. They also met Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri and requested help.
Indian Embassy in touch with kin to repatriate body
In a statement on X, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it was in touch with the family and would extend all possible assistance to facilitate the early repatriation of Yusuf’s mortal remains.
At least 10 other Indians were also injured in the attack. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the strikes, saying, “We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and property damage.”
Fresh attacks
The airport came under another Houthi attack on Sunday. Commenting on the attack, a Saudi official said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 of the airport, causing a fire. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said there were injuries, but did not specify.
Earlier in the day, the authorities had extended the airport’s closure till Sunday night.
About an hour after the airport attack, journalists reported hearing two explosions in quick succession in central Riyadh. The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. There were also reports of attacks on Dammam airport and two Aramco oil facilities.
Amid the attacks, many flights connecting Kerala with Saudi Arabia and other destinations in West Asia were cancelled.