Another Indian killed in missile attack on Riyadh, toll up to six

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain Friday. “Had a fruitful discussion with the King of Bahrain… Conveyed warm greetings on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr to him and the people of Bahrain. We discussed the current situation in the West Asian region. Condemned attacks on the energy and civilian infrastructure in the region, underscoring their adverse impact on global food, fuel and fertiliser security,” Modi said in a post on X.

“Reiterated the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and keeping shipping lines open and secure. Thanked His Majesty for his continued support for the well-being of the Indian community in Bahrain,” he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday. “Very pleased to speak with my Australian counterpart @SenatorWong. Shared our assessments of the ongoing West Asia conflict. Also discussed Indo-Pacific issues,” he said in a post on X.

On March 13, two Indian nationals were killed and 10 others injured in a drone strike in Oman’s Sohar city. Earlier, three Indian sailors were killed in attacks on merchant vessels.

“In total, six Indian nationals have lost their lives and one remains missing in recent incidents. Mortal remains of two Indian nationals have already been repatriated to India,” officials said.

Officials said the Indian Missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and the UAE are in contact with the local authorities for the missing individual and for repatriation of the remaining mortal remains.

They also said that 15 Indian crew members of MT Safesea Vishnu who were rescued have left Iraq and are expected to return to India via Saudi Arabia. Also, 24 rescued Indian seafarers, including 16 from MV MKD Vyom and eight from MT Skylight, have already returned to India from Oman.

Giving an update on the government’s actions in West Asia and the Gulf region, officials said the Indian Embassy in Iran has facilitated the movement of 913 Indian nationals from Iran to neighbouring countries, including 793 to Armenia and 120 to Azerbaijan. All 284 Indian pilgrims from Iran have returned to India safely, officials said.

Since February 28, officials said that around 3 lakh people have returned from the region to India, with overall flight operations showing steady improvement. There are about 1 crore Indian nationals in the Gulf and West Asian region.

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

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