Manama, March 9 – The Indian Embassy in Bahrain advised Indian nationals in the country on Monday to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions amid the prevailing regional situation.
The Embassy urged Indian nationals to follow updates and advisories issued by it and local authorities. It also reiterated the helpline numbers for assistance and requested people to transit through Saudi Arabia from Bahrain.
In a statement on X, the Indian Embassy in Bahrain stated, "Transit through Saudi Arabia from Bahrain. Priority is being given to stranded Indian nationals, especially those on tourist or short-term visas. The Embassy of India in Riyadh is obtaining individual transit visa approvals from the Saudi Government. Therefore, transit visa requests are currently being referred by the Embassy of India in Bahrain to the Embassy of India in Riyadh."
It also issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for transit through Saudi Arabia. It mentioned that travelers must have a confirmed air ticket for onward travel to India, and passengers must show the Note Verbale/formal note issued by the Embassy of India in Riyadh to Saudi immigration authorities at the checkpoint before entering Saudi Arabia.
According to the advisory issued by the Embassy, a Saudi transit visa will be valid for 72-96 hours. People must leave Saudi Arabia for India during this period. The Indian Embassy in Bahrain has advised travelers to plan their travel to the Saudi checkpoint preferably during daytime. It has also released the e-mail id for Indian nationals who want to seek transit visa facilitation.
The Embassy's advisory comes amid ongoing conflict in West Asia, which began after joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28, which triggered a sweeping response from Iran in the form of drone and missile attacks targeting US assets, regional capitals, and allied forces across West Asia.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) General Command said on Monday that its air defence systems continue to successfully intercept Iranian attacks. According to the statement, BDF Forces have intercepted and destroyed 102 ballistic missiles and 171 unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Bahrain since the start of the conflict, Bahrain News Agency reported.
The BDF General Command lauded the combat readiness and operational excellence showcased by its personnel during this period and said that the country's airspace remains protected.
It urged people to remain indoors and move out only when necessary after taking all precautions. The BDF General Command advised people to stay away from impacted areas and any suspicious objects and to not interfere with military operations or debris sites, to avoid spreading unverified information and to follow only official sources for updates and advisories, Bahrain News Agency reported.
The General Command termed targeting of civilian sites and private property using ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles as a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the United Nations Charter. It further said that these indiscriminate attacks demonstrate a direct threat to regional peace and security.