Two Indian nationals were killed in a drone strike in an industrial area of Oman on Friday, officials said, marking the first Indian fatalities on land in a West Asian country since the start of the Iran–US conflict on February 28.
Ten other Indians were injured in the strike on Al Awahi Industrial Area in Sohar city, about 200 km from the capital Muscat, though all were reported to be out of danger.
Ten Indians Injured In The Attack
More than three dozen Indians have been injured so far in drone and missile strikes across several West Asian countries, including the United Arab Emirates.
Confirming the incident, Aseem Mahajan, Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said two Indian nationals died in “an attack” in Sohar city.
“We express our deepest condolences to their families. Of the 11 injured [in the attack], 10 are Indians. Out of them, five have been discharged after receiving treatment, and five others are receiving treatment in local hospitals,” Mahajan said.
“None of them is reported to have serious injuries. Our mission is in close touch with the concerned company and local authorities and is rendering all assistance.”
Drone Crash Reported In Sohar
The Oman News Agency cited a security source as saying that two unmanned aerial vehicles crashed in Sohar, with one of the drones striking the Al Awhi Industrial Zone, resulting in the death of two expatriate workers.
Since the conflict began on February 28, three Indian sailors have been killed in attacks on merchant vessels and tankers, while one more sailor has been reported missing. Until now, there had been no reports of Indian fatalities on land in the region.
Indians Evacuated From Attacked Tanker Near Iraq
Mahajan also said 15 Indian crew members of the US-owned oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, which was attacked near Basra in Iraq on Wednesday, had been evacuated safely to a hotel in Basra city.
One Indian crew member was killed in that attack. Mahajan said efforts are underway to bring his body back to India and arrange the safe return of the rescued seafarers.
“Our mission team is in Basra and is rendering all assistance,” he said.
Over 1.5 lakh Indians Return From West Asia
According to Mahajan, 150,000 Indian nationals have returned from West Asia since February 28 amid the escalating conflict.
This includes:
- 2,900 Indians who returned from Qatar on Qatar Airways flights in recent days
- 1,000 Indians who returned from Bahrain
He added that regular non-scheduled commercial flights are operating from several airports in the UAE, while Air India Express and IndiGo began flights from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to facilitate the return of Indian nationals.
