22 Indian nationals, including 14 seafarers, killed during West Asia conflict: MEA

In the past eight months, since the war between the US, Israel, and Iran erupted in February, at least 22 Indian nationals have perished, with 14 of them being seafarers. The Indian government disclosed these grim figures on Wednesday, following a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia that claimed the life of an Indian national. Three Indians have already lost their lives in Saudi Arabia since the war commenced on February 28.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict in West Asia, stating, "We are deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in West Asia. We have lost 22 Indian nationals in the conflict, including 14 seafarers. We remain in close touch with our community in the Gulf region for their safety and wellbeing."

On October 22, India condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia for the third time in two weeks, as an Indian national was killed in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Additionally, another Indian was injured in an attack on the Shaybah oil field last Tuesday.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh reported that an Indian national was among the two fatalities, while two others were among the eight injured in the Dammam airport attack on Wednesday evening. The intensity of the attacks on Saudi Arabia has escalated in recent weeks, with the Houthis launching operations from Yemen and targeting the nation's airports and energy facilities.

Delhi had previously condemned these attacks on October 8 and 11. The Indian community in Saudi Arabia numbers around 2.74 million, comprising skilled and semi-skilled professionals. This is not the first time Delhi has issued condemnatory statements and security advisories to safeguard its citizens since the war began. Over the past eight months, there have been at least five instances necessitating such statements, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has discussed the evolving conflict with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on multiple occasions in March and August.