New Delhi: India on Wednesday voiced deep concern over an attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia and renewed its call for early restoration of peace in West Asia.
Saudi authorities said in Riyadh that a drone sent by Houthi militants attempting to target Makkah was intercepted and destroyed on Tuesday evening.
“We are deeply concerned at the drone attack near Makkah,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure,” he said.
“The incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world,” Jaiswal said.
The spokesperson was responding to a media query.
Jaiswal further added: “We hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.”
The drone attack targeting Makkah is being seen as a major escalation in the tensions in West Asia, especially after the Houthis carried out several strikes on Saudi Arabia.
Several areas along Saudi Arabia’s western coast, including Makkah, were placed on security alert on Tuesday after Saudi authorities said their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the city.
The drone was destroyed before it entered Mecca’s prohibited airspace, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
India had on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure and economic assets, cautioning that such strikes undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the latest situation in West Asia during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the margins of the BRICS summit on Sunday.
“We have condemned the attack on the Saudi sovereign territory, including on the civilian infrastructure and economic assets. I would say that such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb,” Jaiswal said at his regular media briefing on Tuesday.
The Iran-backed Houthi militant group had attacked Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which is considered very crucial for the supply of crude oil.
Ever since the conflict involving Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the East-West pipeline has served as a critical bypass for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports.
The Houthi attacks have also triggered concerns over the safety of the Bab-el-Mandeb shipping lane, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
India last week condemned the latest wave of attacks on Saudi oil installations.
The attacks on Saudi oil facilities came amid the US ramping up its economic sanctions against Iran.
The Houthis have been majorly operating from Yemen.
