Indian embassy urges citizens in Qatar to stay indoors after Iranian missile attack on Al Udeid air base
Traces are seen in the sky after Iran's armed forces say they targeted The Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha | Reuters
After Iran fired missiles at Qatar's Al Udeid air base on Monday evening, the Indian embassy in Doha urged citizens to remain calm and cautious. The attack on the US air base in Qatar was reportedly intercepted. It was carried out in retaliation of US attacks on Iran's three nuclear sites.
"In view of the ongoing situation, Indian community in Qatar is urged to be cautious and remain indoors," said a statement by the embassy.
"Please remain calm and follow local news, instructions, and guidance provided by Qatari authorities. The Embassy will also keep updating through our social media channels," it added.
Dr Majed al-Ansari, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson and an advisor to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said "the advisories issued by a number of embassies to their nationals to exercise caution or avoid certain locations in the State of Qatar fall within the general policies adopted by various countries regarding travel guidance & security updates for their citizens around the world."
However, he said these advisories do not necessarily mean that there are specific or credible threats. Pointing out that the security situation in Qatar is stable, he said the authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Assuring the safety and security of citizens, residents, and visitors, al-Ansari said the public will be kept informed of any developments that may warrant notification or action.
"The State of Qatar continues to exert intensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region & to preserve regional security & stability through ongoing engagement with relevant stakeholders & regional & international partners," added the spokesperson
Besides Qatar, Gulf nations like Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE also closed their air space.
Responding to the Iranian missile attacks, Qatar strongly condemed that attack. "We consider this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter. We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law," posted al-Ansari.
"We reassure that Qatar’s air defences successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles," he added.
Middle East