Riyadh, Sep 14 (IANS) Consul General of India in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, Fahad Suri, on Monday visited Indian nationals undergoing treatment at a local hospital who are among dozens of people injured during the recent Houthi group launched ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting several Saudi cities.

"Consul General Shri Fahad Suri visited Indian nationals undergoing treatment at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, who were injured in the recent incidents in Jazan. CG enquired about their health and well-being, interacted with the patients, and assured them of the Consulate’s full support and assistance," the Consulate General of India in Jeddah - which also covers the cities of Mecca, Madinah, Yanbu, Taif, Tabuk, Qunfudah, AlBaha, Abha, Jizan and Najran - posted on X.

"The Consulate remains in close touch with the hospital authorities and the affected nationals and their family members," the social media post added.

According to reports, the Houthis last week launched several attacks targeting the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan.

In a statement on X, Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson of the Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government in Yemen, said the Houthis were continuing attacks on the Kingdom's national assets and infrastructure, reflecting what he described as the group's extremist approach toward escalation and the targeting of civilians in Saudi Arabia, Xinhua news agency reported.

The recent attacks came amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

India on September 9 had condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly the targeting of civilian and economic facilities, calling them "unacceptable".

In response to a media query on the reported Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a bi-weekly media briefing, "India condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities."

He added that such attacks that "undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb were unacceptable."

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, met Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, holding discussions on advancing bilateral cooperation.

“Pleased to meet the FM of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on the sidelines of BRICS India 2026. Exchanged perspectives on regional and global developments, as well as on advancing our bilateral cooperation,” EAM Jaishankar stated on X.

Last week, India and Saudi Arabia also discussed defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their strategic partnership.

The discussions came as Indian Ambassador Vipul met Saudi Arabia's Assistant Minister of Defence, Khaled bin Hussain Al Biyari.

"Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Mr. Vipul, met H.E. Dr Khaled bin Hussain Al Biyari, Assistant Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh. The two sides discussed India–Saudi Arabia defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional developments, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries", the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia wrote in a post on X.

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh was also on an official visit to Saudi Arabia from September 5-8.

--IANS

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