The government said the eight Indian who died in terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia were "victims of circumstances" but warned that such acts could cause the large Indian expatriate population in the Persian Gulf to consider returning home.
Expressing "deep regret at the unfortunate deaths of 22 persons" including eight Indians in Al Khobar, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Navtej Sarna said, "The Indian casualties were victims of the circumstances rather than pre-meditated targets for attack."
The Indian embassy in Riyadh has placed two teams in Al Khobar to provide all assistance, including informing the next of kin and for repatriation of the bodies to India, Sarna said. The embassy would also address the issue of compensation with the Saudi authorities, he said Monday evening.
The official said it would take a few days for the bodies those killed in the attacks to be brought home. The government is helping the immediate relatives of those killed to travel to Riyadh, he said.
"They were victims of circumstances," the official insisted, adding that there is no warning or intelligence input of terrorist groups targeting Indians working in Gulf.
An external affairs ministry official also said that such attacks could "unsettle" the large number of Indians working in the Persian Gulf, "especially those in Saudi Arabia". About four million Indians work in the region, with the largest number in Saudi Arabia. Most of the Indian expatriates are blue collar workers.
The official pointed out that during the two Gulf Wars thousands of Indians returned home to an uncertain future.
The Indian expatriates in the Gulf form the "backbone" of foreign remittance by Indians working abroad, he said. Indian government admit that 50 per cent of over Rs 55,000 crores that Indians working abroad sent back home till now came from the Indians in Gulf.
Indian expatriates in the Gulf remit more than $4 billion annually back to India, he said. According to recent World Bank figures, some $8.4 billion of remittance came from Indians abroad in 2004, half of which comes from workers in the Gulf. Worldwide, India is only second to Mexico in terms of remittance from its workforce abroad.
The official said while efforts are on to assist those affected by the current crisis, the situation in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia and neighbourhood was fluid and "beyond our control". The worsening situation in Iraq could have a domino effect on the rest of the region, the official said.
In this regard, the Indian government also expressed its concerns regarding the Iraq situation Monday.
"The Government of India notes with concern the deterioration in the security situation in Iraq, which has caused the violation of the sanctity of places of religious worship and monuments of great cultural significance. We would emphasize the imperative need to respect the religious sentiments and cultural sensitivities of the people," Sarna said in a statement Monday evening.
