An Indian national has died in Riyadh amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, taking the total number of Indian fatalities to six so far, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said on Friday.
“The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18th,” the mission said in a post on social media, adding that it is in touch with the family and local authorities.
The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Earlier, the Union government had said on March 14 that five Indians had been killed and one was missing in the conflict. Indian missions in Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are coordinating with local authorities to trace the missing person and facilitate repatriation of the deceased.
On March 2, the Directorate General of Shipping said three Indian seafarers were killed and one injured in incidents linked to the conflict, without providing further details.
Separately, two Indians were killed in a drone strike in Oman’s Sohar region on March 13.
The latest escalation in West Asia began on February 28 after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. Tehran has since retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting locations across the Gulf, including military bases and key urban centres.
Israel has said Iran is nearing the capability to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies, maintaining that its nuclear programme is for civilian use.