Sri Lanka has condemned recent attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia that killed and injured people, the Daily Mirror reported on Saturday afternoon.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism extended condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Ministry expressed solidarity with the Government and people of Saudi Arabia, and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to engage in constructive dialogue to de-escalate tensions.
Why this matters to Sri Lanka
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest destinations for Sri Lankan migrant labour, and the Ministry that issued the statement carries the foreign employment portfolio alongside foreign affairs — the same ministry currently handling the appeal against the death sentence imposed on migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa.
The disruption has already reached Sri Lankan aviation. SriLankan Airlines suspended its Riyadh flights until 18 October after cancelling services earlier in the week, and the carrier had separately relocated its Riyadh office.
What the statement does not say
The filing does not identify who carried out the attacks, which airports were struck, when they occurred, or how many people were killed and injured. The Ministry’s call for restraint is addressed to “all parties” without naming any, and the statement as reported stops short of attributing responsibility.
It does not say whether any Sri Lankan nationals were among the casualties, whether the Embassy in Riyadh has issued advice to the Sri Lankan community there, or whether any travel advisory has been raised. Nor does it indicate whether the statement was conveyed directly to Saudi authorities or issued publicly only.
Update, 10 October: a second newsroom, and the events behind the statement
Hiru News has filed its own account of the statement, reporting the same three elements: the condemnation of recent attacks on Saudi civilian airports that caused loss of life and injuries, the condolences and wishes for the recovery of the injured, and the call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and pursue constructive dialogue to de-escalate regional tensions. The two accounts agree in substance and neither adds detail the other lacks.
Later on Saturday, verified accounts of the attacks themselves became available. A blast wounded travellers at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and the Saudi civil aviation authority suspended operations — the third attack on the airport in a week, amid an escalating Houthi missile campaign against the kingdom.
That reporting does not resolve what this statement refers to. The Ministry’s statement was reported on Saturday afternoon and speaks of “recent attacks” in the plural, without naming any event. The blast above was reported on Saturday evening. Neither filing on the statement links it to a specific attack, and this newsroom has not inferred one.
