New Delhi, March 13 Two Indian nationals were killed and 10 others injured in a drone strike in Sohar, Oman, on Friday, which marked the first Indian fatalities on land since the Iran-US conflict erupted on February 28.
Joint Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs Aseem Mahajan confirmed the killing of the two Indians in Oman at an inter-ministerial media briefing on the crisis in West Asia.
He also said that 150,000 Indian nationals have returned to India from West Asia after the conflict began.
"I would like to share an incident that occurred in Sohar today. There was an attack, and in this incident, two Indian nationals have died," he said.
"We express our deepest condolences to their families. Of the 11 injured (in the attack), 10 are Indians. Of these, five have been discharged after receiving treatment, and the other five are receiving treatment in local hospitals," Mahajan said.
"None of them are reported to have serious injuries. Our mission is in close contact with the concerned company and local authorities and is providing all assistance," he said.
While Mahajan did not provide specific details of the attack, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported that two drones crashed in Sohar, with one hitting the Al Awhi Industrial Zone and claiming the lives of the two expatriate workers.
These latest casualties brought the total number of Indian fatalities in the West Asia conflict to five. While the strike in Oman marked the first deaths on land, three Indian sailors have previously been killed in attacks on merchant vessels since the conflict erupted on February 28.
In the last few days, India has ramped up its diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety and security of the 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asia.
India has also been making efforts to secure safe passage for over 20 Indian-flagged merchant vessels currently stationed on either side of the Strait of Hormuz.
In his remarks, Mahajan also said that 15 Indian crew members of the US-owned oil tanker Safesea Vishnu were safely evacuated to a hotel in Basra city.
The tanker came under attack near Basra in Iraq on Wednesday. An Indian crew member was killed in the attack.
Efforts were underway to transport the mortal remains of the deceased to India, he said.
Mahajan said the Indian mission in Basra is also trying to ensure the safe repatriation of the 15 Indian crew members to India.
The senior official said that 150,000 Indian nationals have returned from West Asia.
Around 2,900 Indians returned from Qatar via Qatar Airways flights in the past few days, and 1,000 Indians who returned from Bahrain.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that 117 Indian nationals have crossed over to Armenia from Iran through land border crossings, and several of them have already returned to India.
"We have told all sides to adopt the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict as soon as possible," he said at the briefing.
"We are also talking to BRICS member states so that a consensus evolves on this issue," he said.