New Delhi: Mohammed Yusuf Ali, a 46-year-old resident of Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad, died on Sunday, October 11, from injuries sustained in the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh a day earlier, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed on Sunday night. He is the first confirmed Indian fatality in the strike, which Saudi Arabia has blamed on Houthi militants.
Yusuf Ali was in the Kingdom with his family for the Umrah pilgrimage when the attack struck the airport on October 10. Two of his sons and an aunt were also injured — one son is undergoing knee surgery, officials said — while his daughter and wife escaped unhurt. The family, like thousands of Indian pilgrims who travel to Saudi Arabia each year, had been preparing for their return when the violence erupted.
The scale of the attack has drawn global attention. More than 300 people were injured in the strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and the airport at Abha, and the death toll stands at 12–13, including four Saudi nationals and eight foreign residents. At least 11 Indians are among the injured, Indian officials have said. Saudi authorities have described the strikes as missile attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi militants.
“Deeply Grieved”: Jaishankar’s Condolence
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X on Sunday evening: “Deeply grieved at the loss of life of an Indian national in the Riyadh attack… The Embassy will extend all possible assistance.” The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it was in touch with the family and was arranging for the early repatriation of the mortal remains to Hyderabad.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi confirmed Yusuf Ali’s death on X and said he had been in touch with the family. Owaisi urged Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy to extend full assistance to the bereaved family, adding his voice to the calls for the swift return of the mortal remains. The intervention of a local MP reflected the deep community ties the family has in Mehdipatnam, where the news of the death cast a pall.
India had earlier issued a sharply-worded condemnation of the strikes on the Riyadh and Abha airports, describing them as attacks on civilian infrastructure. The Indian government has consistently condemned the Houthi strikes on Saudi targets and reiterated its support for the Kingdom’s territorial integrity.
A Pilgrimage Turned Tragic
For Hyderabad’s large community of Haj and Umrah pilgrims, the tragedy has particular resonance. The city sends thousands of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia every year, and Riyadh airport is among their principal transit points. Consular officials in Riyadh said they were monitoring the condition of the injured Indians closely and were coordinating with Saudi hospitals where they are being treated.
The attack marks one of the deadliest strikes on Saudi civilian infrastructure in recent years and comes at a moment of already elevated regional tensions. As the family in Mehdipatnam waits to receive Yusuf Ali’s remains, the Indian mission in Riyadh has said its focus remains on two priorities: care for the injured and the dignified repatriation of the dead.
