For nearly three decades, Manzoor Ahmed worked as a tailor in Kuwait, sending money home to support his family in Madhya Pradesh. On Wednesday, just hours before he was due to board a flight home for his nephew’s wedding, the 55-year-old was killed when an Iranian drone strike hit Kuwait International Airport.
Ahmed, who was a resident of Raj Royal Colony in Ujjain district, was scheduled to fly from Kuwait to on Wednesday evening before travelling onward by train. His family had been preparing to welcome him home after months apart.
“He called me on Tuesday evening and said he would be reaching home soon. He asked me to come to Nagda railway station to receive him,” his son, Mohammad Anas, told The Indian Express. “He was very happy and excited about coming home. We never imagined that would be our last conversation,” Anas said.
According to family members, Ahmed had been living and working in Kuwait for nearly 30 years, earning a livelihood as a tailor and supporting his wife, son, two daughters and elderly mother in Ujjain.
The family said Ahmed was set to return to attend his nephew’s wedding, scheduled to be held in Ratlam district on June 8. Relatives were making preparations for the celebrations when they received news of his death from officials.
Anas said his father had spent most of his adult life working abroad to provide for the family. “He always put the family’s needs before his own. Whatever we have today is because of his hard work. He had saved up money and bought gifts for the wedding,” he said.
Family members said Ahmed had last visited home in October 2025. During that trip, he had promised to return more frequently in the future. Anas said his father’s last rites were conducted in Ujjain Friday. “We were assured by the Collector that whatever money was spent on the last rites will be reimbursed to us. I hope the government keeps its promise,” he said.
Ahmed was among the casualties of the strike on Kuwait International Airport, which also left several people injured and marked another deadly spillover of the escalating conflict between the US and Iran to affect civilians in the Gulf.
