India on Wednesday condemned the reported Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, calling such strikes unacceptable and warning that they posed a threat to regional security and stability.
Saudi authorities said the attacks sparked fires at several oil installations and utility sites, injuring 73 people. The group announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in July and subsequently began advancing towards government-controlled areas near the Bab al-Mandeb.
The remarks by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal marked India’s first official response since the Houthis said on Tuesday that they had targeted energy facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in southern Saudi Arabia as part of a “broad operation”. Referring to the Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, Jaiswal said India “condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities”. He said such attacks that “undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb were unacceptable”.
A key focus for the Houthis is the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
