JEDDAH: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, cut short his trip following a deadly shooting attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, foreign ministry officials said.
During the brief visit, Modi met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, according to images shared by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The visit, initially planned to last two days, was largely overshadowed by the attack in Kashmir that left at least 24 dead.
“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice... they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed,“ Modi wrote on X.
“Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”
The shooting targeted tourists in Kahsmir’s Pahalgam, which lies 90 kilometres (55 miles) by road from the key city of Srinagar.
No group has claimed responsibility, but rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.
Indian foreign ministry officials confirmed late Tuesday that Modi was returning home.
The visit to Saudi Arabia came a day after Modi held high-level talks with US Vice President JD Vance in India, with New Delhi looking to seal a trade deal with Washington and stave off punishing tariffs.
“India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years,“ said Modi in a statement released by his office.
“Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership.”
Pictures posted on Modi’s X account showed the premier being greeted by several Saudi officials after touching down in Jeddah in the afternoon.
Saudi Arabia has been a key supplier of oil to India, the world’s most populous country, for years.
India’s rapidly developing economy relies heavily on petroleum imports, with Saudi Arabia ranked as its third-largest supplier according to the Indian foreign ministry.
The Gulf kingdom is also home to more than two million Indian nationals who have long played a pivotal role in its labour market, helping construct many of the country’s mega-projects while sending billions of dollars in remittances back home each year.
Both Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed fostered close relations with US President Donald Trump during his first term in office.
Trump has flagged a visit to Saudi Arabia next month for what would be his first major diplomatic trip abroad of his second term.
