The Indian Embassy in Bahrain on Monday advised Indian nationals in the country to remain vigilant and take due care amid the prevailing regional situation.
The Embassy asked Indian nationals to follow updates and advisories issued by it and the local authorities. It also released once again the helpline numbers for assistance and asked people to transit through Saudi Arabia from Bahrain.
In the advisory released 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 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 travellers 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, 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 travellers to plan their travel to the Saudi checkpoint preferably during daytime. It also released the e-mail id for Indian nationals who want to send request seeking transit visa facilitation.
The Embassy’s advisory comes amid ongoing conflict in West Asia which started 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 targetting US assets, regional capitals and allied forces across West Asia.
Meanwhile, 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 airspace of the country remains protected.
It urged people to remain indoors and move out only when its necessary after taking all precautions. The BDF General Command advised people to stay away from impacted areas and any suspicious objects and to not shoot military operations or debris sites, avoid spreading unverified information and follow only official sources for updates and advisories, Bahrain News Agency reported.
The General Command termed targetting of civilian sites and private property using ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles 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.
