India voices deep concern over Houthi drone strike near Makkah
India expressed deep concern over an attempted Houthi drone attack near Makkah that Saudi forces intercepted and destroyed.
India on Wednesday voiced deep concern over an attempted drone strike near Makkah in Saudi Arabia, reiterating its condemnation of attacks on the Kingdom's sovereign territory and urging an early return of peace and stability to West Asia.
Saudi authorities in Riyadh said a drone launched by Houthi militants was intercepted and destroyed on Tuesday evening before it could enter the prohibited airspace around Makkah. The Houthis have denied targeting the city or any Islamic holy site.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said the incident was especially troubling given Makkah's significance to Muslims worldwide. "We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah," he said, adding that India reiterates its condemnation of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure, and hopes for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
The statement followed a day after New Delhi flagged serious concern over Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, warning that such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the situation in West Asia with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the margins of the BRICS summit on Sunday. Jaiswal said the issue of the Houthis figured in those talks, and that India continues to receive energy supplies from the region.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who operate mainly from Yemen, have carried out several strikes on Saudi Arabia, including an attack on the Kingdom's East-West oil pipeline. With the Iran-related conflict disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, that pipeline has served as a critical bypass for Saudi crude exports.