The West Asia conflict, which began in February after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, has killed 22 Indians, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday. Fourteen of them were seafarers, and three died in Saudi Arabia.
"We are deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in West Asia," Jaiswal said. "We remain in close touch with our community in the Gulf region for their safety and wellbeing." India has also voiced concern over Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Telugu families among those hit
- Mohammed Yusuf Ali of Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, died after a missile strike at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on October 10. He was travelling with his family for Umrah; his two sons were also injured. The Indian Embassy said 11 Indians were hurt in the strike, which the Saudi-led coalition blamed on the Houthis.
- Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer from Visakhapatnam, was killed in June in an attack on the oil tanker MT Settebello off Oman.
Flights for those stuck in Saudi Arabia
The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has issued a new advisory for Umrah pilgrims hit by flight disruptions. ANI reported that Flynas has added flights from Dammam and Riyadh to cities including Hyderabad. Passengers are told not to go to airports without confirmed rebookings. 24x7 control rooms are running in Jeddah and Makkah.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US told Gulf states to prepare for possible new strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections. In March, the Andhra Pradesh government brought 297 Telugu people home from the Gulf in three days.
