Drones Strike Kuwait Airport Fuel Tank, Sparking Fire With No Casualties

Drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport on March 25, causing a fire but no casualties, Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed. The strike sent a large plume of smoke rising over the facility, the latest in a string of attacks on the airport since a regional war erupted less than four weeks ago.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement posted online that the attack had caused only "limited" damage. "The relevant authorities immediately implemented the approved emergency procedures," agency spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi said, adding that firefighters had been deployed to bring the blaze under control. Initial reports indicated only material damage. The civil aviation authority said efforts were under way to secure the site and assess the full extent of that damage. Kuwait's General Civil Aviation Authority, citing spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi's statement to Kuwait News Agency, specified that the damage was "limited to material losses, with no casualties reported."

The Kuwait National Guard said in a statement that its forces intercepted six drones early on March 25, without specifying where they had been shot down. The Kuwait Army said its air defences were engaged in repelling missiles and drones. "The Kuwaiti air defences are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," the army posted. "The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosion sounds heard are the result of air defence systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities." Kuwait's Ministry of Defence separately declared it was "fully prepared to deal with any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country's security."

Gulf News, citing the civil aviation authority's statement to Kuwait News Agency, identified the drones as Iranian. Reuters and other international wire services reported "drones" without definitively attributing responsibility for this specific strike in their dispatches; they contextualized it within Iran's broader campaign.

The Kuwait airport is largely closed to commercial flights and has come under attack several times since the regional war began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran. This is at least the fourth attack on the largely commercial airport: a radar system strike on March 14, a previous fuel tank hit on March 8, and another attack on the airport terminal on February 28. An earlier attack on a passenger terminal left several people mildly wounded and caused some damage.

Major airlines have suspended flights to the Gulf, or cut back due to fuel shortages linked to the war. Kuwait Airways was scheduled to operate flights from and to Cairo on March 26, routing via Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia, with at least four weekly flights on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The civil aviation authority directed airlines to protect the rights of affected passengers and mandated a full refund for affected passengers within 15 days.

The March 25 strike also came hours after the Trump administration reportedly presented a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran, according to regional reporting, though no official confirmation of that plan's status had been issued as of the attack. With damage assessments still under way and the drone origin not independently confirmed, Kuwaiti authorities' focus remained on containing the fire and hardening a civilian hub that has absorbed repeated strikes inside a month.