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

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. (File Photo)

At least 22 Indian nationals have been killed in the last eight months since the war between US-Israel and Iran began in February this year, which included 14 Indian seafarers.

The Indian government gave out these figures on Wednesday, a week after a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia claimed the life of an Indian national. So far, three Indians have lost their lives in Saudi Arabia since the war began on February 28.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday, “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, for the third time in the last two weeks, India condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia’s “civilian infrastructure” as an Indian national was killed after an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. It also condemned the “critical infrastructure” as another Indian was injured in another attack on the Shaybah oil field last Tuesday.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh had said an Indian national was among two people killed and two other Indians were among eight injured in an attack on the Dammam airport Wednesday evening.

The attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased in the last couple of weeks, with the Houthis opening the front from Yemen and targeting Saudi Arabia’s airports and energy fields.

Delhi had condemned these attacks on October 8 and 11. The Indian community in the Saudi Kingdom numbers at approximately 2.74 million and they include skilled and semi-skilled professionals. This is not the first time in the last eight months since the war in West Asia began that Delhi had to issue condemnatory statements and security advisories to warn its citizens to stay safe. In the past eight months, at least five such occasions have warranted such statements and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the evolving conflict in March and August this year.

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 27 years... Read More