22 Indians, including 14 seafarers, killed in West Asia conflict: MEA

India has lost 22 nationals, including 14 seafarers, in the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also confirmed that three Indians had been killed in Saudi Arabia.

“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. Three Indians have lost their lives in Saudi Arabia,” Jaiswal told reporters at a regular briefing in New Delhi.

The conflict began on February 28, following US and Israeli strikes against Iran. Since then, India has consistently advocated resolving the crisis through dialogue and diplomatic engagement.

Tensions have intensified in recent days after Yemen-based Houthi rebels launched attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding another front to the eight-month-long conflict. Saudi Arabia is also among the Gulf countries targeted by Iran because they host US military bases.

India has voiced serious concern over attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure and economic facilities, warning that such strikes threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The Iran-backed Houthi group targeted Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, a vital route for transporting crude oil across the kingdom.

With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz disrupted by the conflict involving Iran, the East-West pipeline has become an increasingly important alternative for Saudi oil exports.

The Houthi attacks have also heightened concerns over maritime security in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping chokepoint located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.