Dibas Shrestha of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality-7, Borlang, in Gorkha, who had been preparing to return home on leave within a few months, was killed in an Iranian drone attack in Abu Dhabi, according to the Nepali Embassy in the United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday, the UAE Ministry of Defence said three foreign workers—from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—were killed during the Iranian attack. Families in Nepal anxiously tried to contact relatives working in the UAE amid growing uncertainty and prayed for their safety.

For Dibas’s family, the worst fears came true after Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) relayed confirmation of his death to the District Administration Office in Gorkha, which informed ward chair Narayan Shrestha on Monday morning.

A day before the attack, Dibas had expressed concern over escalating Iran-Israel tensions through a Facebook status.

“After watching the news, I felt concerned,” he wrote. “It seems that many reports are being circulated that are not entirely accurate. As residents of Abu Dhabi, we often have first-hand knowledge of the actual situation, yet the news sometimes presents exaggerated or misleading information.”

Shortly after posting the message, he went offline. Family members waited for him to come online for their regular video call, unaware that the post would become his final message. Friends later paid tribute in the comment section of the same status on Monday afternoon.

He had spoken with his family through a video call on Saturday evening and told them he planned to return to Nepal within two to three months.

On Sunday, Cham Bahadur Shrestha, Dibas’s father, received information from Dibas’s friends that he had injured his leg while running during panic caused by the attack and had lost his mobile phone.

“We were told he had lost his phone and injured his leg during the rush,” said his father, a former police officer. “After that, we could not contact him. We kept trying to call, but the phone did not connect.”

The family continued to wait for his call until the embassy issued a statement confirming that a youth from Gorkha had died in the drone strike.

News of his death drew neighbours and relatives to the family home in Thanti, Borlang, on Monday afternoon, plunging the settlement into mourning. Ward chair Narayan Shrestha said informing the family had been extremely difficult.

Dibas had travelled to the UAE about a year and a half ago for employment as a security guard after celebrating Dashain with his family. He completed his secondary education at Saraswati Secondary School in Borlang and later pursued overseer studies in Kathmandu before deciding to seek employment abroad due to limited opportunities at home.

“He had said he would come home again on leave. Instead, we had to hear this news,” his father said, adding that the family has begun consultations regarding procedures to repatriate the body.

Relatives described him as cheerful and sociable. “He was humorous and friendly with everyone,” said relative Amrit Shrestha.

Bishnu Shrestha, Dibas’s brother-in-law, said the employing company has assured the family that discussions on bringing the body to Nepal will take place once the situation normalises.

Shrestha is survived by his parents and a sister. His mother, Pavitra Shrestha, has reportedly been in a semi-conscious condition since learning of her son’s death.