New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- India on Tuesday condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, warning that such strikes could affect regional stability and the safety of international shipping through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had discussed the situation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on Sunday.
"The issue of the Houthis was also discussed," Jaiswal said, adding that India was "deeply concerned" about the worsening situation in the Red Sea region. He said attacks on Saudi sovereign territory were unacceptable and threatened freedom of navigation through Bab-el-Mandeb.
The Iran-backed Houthi group, which operates mainly from Yemen, has targeted Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, an important route for crude exports. The pipeline has gained importance as a bypass after disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Jaiswal said India continues to receive energy supplies from the region and called for an early return of peace and stability.
He also addressed the case of an Indian seafarer missing after an attack on a Panama-flagged vessel off Oman last week. The ship was carrying 14 Indian nationals, of whom 13 have been rescued. Jaiswal thanked Omani authorities for their efforts and said search and rescue operations for the missing Indian were continuing.
India also called attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure unacceptable, urging the restoration of safe navigation and the uninterrupted movement of commerce through international waterways in the region.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.