India on Sunday strongly condemned the escalating wave of attacks targeting Saudi territory, hours after a devastating strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport claimed 12 lives and left over 300 people injured.
The assault—marking the third time this week that the key aviation hub has been targeted—plunged the capital into emergency response mode as hospitals overflowed with critical casualties transported by fleets of ambulances and helicopters. Previous attacks earlier in the week had already claimed four lives and inflicted heavy structural damage on grounded commercial aircraft.
While a Saudi-led military coalition has squarely blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels operating from neighbouring Yemen for the carnage, the militant faction has refrained from officially claiming responsibility.
New Delhi Calls Strikes ‘Completely Unacceptable’
In a strongly worded official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) decried the persistent violence directed at non-military targets.
“We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and damage to property,” the MEA stated. “The repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately.”
Extending deep condolences to the bereaved families, New Delhi wished a swift and complete recovery to the hundreds wounded in the chaos. Reaffirming bilateral ties, the statement added, “We stand in solidarity with the people and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty, and hope that peace and normalcy return to the region at the earliest.”
Regional Security Concerns Mount
The sequence of high-profile strikes has laid bare significant vulnerabilities in Saudi Arabia’s air defence capabilities. The Kingdom continues to press forward with a heavy air campaign to bolster Riyadh-backed Yemeni ground forces fighting against the Iranian-aligned proxy group.
Marking the deadliest single strike recorded in any Gulf Arab state since the onset of the broader regional conflict, international pressure is mounting to restrain further escalation and secure critical regional transport corridors.
