India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns over Bab-el-Mandeb
India on Friday condemned attacks by Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes were undermining regional security and posing a threat to freedom of navigation through the strategically important Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was deeply concerned about the worsening security situation in Yemen and reiterated its condemnation of attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including civilian and economic facilities, as well as an attempted attack near the holy city of Makkah.
“Such attacks undermine regional security and stability and threaten freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb and are unacceptable to us,” Jaiswal said during his regular media briefing. He added that India hoped for an early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
The latest escalation follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure. Saudi authorities have also said that a Houthi-launched drone was intercepted south of Makkah before entering the city's restricted airspace. The Houthis have denied targeting Makkah.
The attacks have raised concerns over the security of the Bab-el-Mandeb, a key maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The waterway is an important route for international shipping between Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and recent Houthi advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast have increased concerns about maritime traffic.
The escalation has also affected Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. Recent attacks damaged pumping stations on the country's East-West pipeline, a key route for transporting crude oil from the eastern fields to the Red Sea coast.
India had earlier condemned attacks on Saudi oil installations and voiced concern over the attempted strike near Makkah.
The renewed violence comes amid a wider regional conflict involving Iran and heightened tensions around two major maritime routes — the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb. The ongoing fighting has also triggered a fresh humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with the UN migration agency reporting more than 112,000 people displaced inside the country and nearly 3,000 people fleeing by sea to Djibouti.
with inputs from PTI
