6 Indians killed in Israel-Hamas conflict, 1 still missing: MEA
What's the story
An Indian national was killed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 18, taking the total number of Indian casualties in the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict to six. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the death on Thursday night. "We send deepest condolences to the family, and our mission in Riyadh is in touch with the authorities and closely monitoring the return of his mortals to India," Aseem Mahajan, additional secretary (Gulf), said during an interministerial briefing.
Repatriation efforts
One Indian national still missing
Mahajan also revealed that one Indian national is still missing in the conflict. "Our missions in SaudiArabia, Oman, Iraq, and the UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India," he said. This comes as 15 crew members of oil tanker MT Safesea Vishnu were rescued from Iraq and left for India via the Saudi Arabia route on Thursday.
Seafarer repatriation
Situation improving in West Asia
The MEA also updated on the flight operations in West Asia, saying that the situation is improving with more flights operating from the region. Around 300,000 passengers have returned to India since February 28. "From the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights based on operational and safety considerations," Mahajan said. Jazeera Airways of Kuwait will start special non-scheduled commercial flights from Al Qaisumah Airport in Saudi Arabia to India, with Kochi as its first destination.