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The Wire
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Missiles Over Qatar: For Indians, a Night of Panic in Doha; Questions Over Flight Delays
The attack on the Al-Udeid air base has affected flight operations to Qatar including connecting flights to other countries via Qatar. A video screengrab showing passengers queuing at the Doha airport for transfers. Photo: X/@TheKiffness. Jalandhar: The Indian expat community in Qatar, which is one of the major workforces in the natural gas-rich country suffered a night of panic following Iran's attack on the US military base of Al-Udeid on Monday, June 23. Explosions were heard across Doha while videos of missiles being launched towards the Al-Udeid air base, the largest US military base in the West Asia were shared across Qatar. Major news outlets also published similar videos. There are 836,784 Indians, including persons of Indian origin, in Qatar, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Indians whom The Wire spoke to said that they rushed to the ground floor from their flats, offices, and commercial establishments immediately as it became clear that missiles had been launched. 'At around 8 pm (Qatar time), we heard explosions. Before we could understand anything or speak to each other, everybody started rushing out of their flats. We heard people shouting in panic and rushed from our flat situated on the fourth floor to the ground floor and to the parks to save ourselves. People remained glued to their mobile phones for major updates and spoke to their loved ones," said a logistics manager at a construction company who requested not to be named. The logistics manager is originally from Punjab. The manager's house, Al Ghanim was situated 30 kilometres from the Al-Udeid air base. 'While there was no immediate blackout or suspension of internet services, people spent the entire night in fear of escalation of war in this region. We could see the missiles clearly in the sky. The Qatar police too remained on high alert and were roaming the highways, alerting people to stay safe," he added. Labourers at construction sites, who begin work after 3.30 pm in Qatar because of heat stress as per the orders of the Ministry of Labour in summers, were also immediately sent back home by their employers. A group of Indian and Nepali workers employed at various commercial establishments at the Doha city centre, which houses business centres, homes and shopping malls also spoke of a night of anxiety. A man from Kerala, working at the Lusail International Circuit – a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha – also told The Wire, 'People had either returned home from work or were going back home when they sighted missiles, forcing them to huddle wherever they could find safe space. Initially nobody understood anything and then it was commotion everywhere.' Many Indians primarily from Punjab, Kashmir, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh work as engineers, project managers, and labourers in the construction, oil and natural gas projects and steel plants in Qatar. Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Turkey, UK, Canada, and the US also have citizens living and working in Qatar in significant numbers. Flights Meanwhile, the attack on Al-Udeid air base also affected flight operations to Qatar including the connecting flights to other countries via Qatar. An Air India flight to Qatar which took off at around 9.30 pm from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on June 23 was re-routed to Delhi following the missile attack. Similarly, other scheduled flights to Qatar from Delhi which were initially delayed were later cancelled following Iran's missile attack on Al-Udeid air base leaving passengers stranded at the airport for the entire night. 'My flight was at 4 am on June 24, 2025 from IGI Delhi but was cancelled within seconds of Iran's attack on the US air base in Qatar. There was total chaos at the airport. People were left scrambling for flight refunds and updates about later flights to Qatar," Jagtar Singh, who was yet to get information about the next flight, told The Wire. The Embassy of India at Doha in its post on X in the wee hours of June 24, 2025 shared: "Qatar Airways confirms reinstatement of flights as airspace reopens in the State of Qatar. Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly. We've deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support you as we resume operations. Please check or our app before you travel." However, till the filing of this report on June 24, no flight bookings were possible. Stuck at the airport, most of the passengers were either still waiting at the airport for flight operations to resume or had moved to nearby hotels. Earlier on the night of June 23, following the missile attack, the Indian Embassy at Doha had issued a statement that the Indian community in Qatar may note that Qatar's Ministry of Interior has affirmed that the security situation in the country is stable and that there is no cause for concern. "Please follow the advice and guidance of local authorities. Our Embassy will open tomorrow for its services as usual," the embassy said on X. In a statement issued on June 23 night, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association stated that amid Iran's attack on the US air base, a flight evacuating over 270 Indian students, most of them from Kashmir, from Mashhad airport in Iran to Delhi was also delayed. The flight was originally scheduled to arrive at Delhi Airport at 1 am on June 24. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
News18
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
‘Bombs Were Flying Around': Man Recounts 7-Hour Ordeal After Doha Flight Diverted To Istanbul
Along with a picture of himself on the flight, the man shared his experience and even revealed he witnessed "flying bombs" around him. In a shocking escalation, Iran launched a missile strike on an American air base in Qatar on Monday, further intensifying tensions amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. The target, Al Udeid Air Base, a key US military installation, was hit just days after Israeli forces attacked nuclear and ballistic missile sites in Tehran on June 13. The latest development has raised fears of a broader regional conflict. In response, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Iraq were placed on high alert, while airlines suspended operations across several affected areas on Monday. Qatar Airways was among several carriers that temporarily suspended flights following the closure of air traffic in Qatar, leaving many travellers stranded. One such passenger was musician David Scott, popularly known as The Kiffness, whose Doha-bound flight was diverted, forcing him to spend seven hours on the tarmac in Istanbul. Bought the @qatarairways WiFi just to say we had to land in Instanbul & chill on the tarmac for 7hrs because bombs were flying around. Weird times, but could be worse. Back in the air now & on the way to Doha. Will let you know if any other weird things happens. Cheers! Taking to X (formerly Twitter), David Scott shared a post after he finally got to resume his flight to Doha. Along with a picture of himself on the flight, Scott shared his experience and even revealed he witnessed flying bombs around him. 'Bought the Qatar Airways WiFi just to say we had to land in Istanbul & chill on the tarmac for 7 hours because bombs were flying around. Weird times, but could be worse. Back in the air now & on the way to Doha. Will let you know if any other weird things happen. Cheers!" he wrote on Tuesday, June 24. On the other hand, many travellers have posted updates after their respective flights were suspended due to the suspension of airspace. Me and mum got the last flight out of Doha before they closed the airspace. I took this selfie before we took off. We just landed now in london and I've just seen the news. Doha airport was so stressful. Thanks to staff for getting us out. Never been that stressed in my life. — Alex (@alex6130) June 23, 2025 The posts came shortly after Qatar Airways also announced the reinstatement of flights following a brief suspension on Monday. Noting that it has deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport, the Airways issued a statement to assure travellers of their safety. Iran-Israel Conflict The tensions began on June 13 after Israel targeted Iranian military and nuclear sites, prompting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to launch an attack in retaliation. The conflict escalated further after the US also conducted precise airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday, once again leading to retaliation from Iran as they attacked US military installations in Qatar and Iraq. #Trump backdoor deal of support led #Israel to attack Iran. #Iran retaliated with 6+missiles on US base in #Doha,was the deal signed by Russia (#Putin)? If the US retaliates, #Russia may jump to support Iran. It could be a semi-high #WorldWar3 situation in the next few days. top videos View all — Manu Many witnesses have reported hearing loud explosions above the capital, Doha, with viral videos also showing bright flashes in the sky.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Bombs flying around': Musician resumes journey to Doha after spending 7 hours on Istanbul tarmac
Qatar briefly closed its airspace on Monday after the Iranian attack on the US Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. Flight traffic in and out of the country was affected due to the closure, with dozens of aircrafts diverted. One such traveller affected by the closure of airspace was musician David Scott (better known by his stage name 'The Kiffness'), who spent seven hours on the tarmac in Istanbul after his flight to Doha was diverted. David Scott, aka The Kiffness, spent 7 hours in Istanbul after his flight to Doha was diverted In a post shared on the social media platform X this morning, Scott said he had finally resumed his journey to Doha, Qatar after an unscheduled stop at Istanbul, Turkey. The South African musician – best known for his song 'I Go Meow' – said that he bought Qatar Airways Wi-Fi specially to share this update. 'Bought the Qatar Airways WiFi just to say we had to land in Istanbul and chill on the tarmac for 7hrs because bombs were flying around. Weird times, but could be worse,' he wrote. 'Back in the air now & on the way to Doha. Will let you know if any other weird things happens.' Qatar Airways resumed its flight services after the brief closure, but warned travellers of delays. 'Qatar Airways confirms reinstatement of flights as airspace reopens in the State of Qatar,' the airline said in a statement five hours ago. 'Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly. We've deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support you as we resume operations.' What happened in Qatar? Iran launched missiles at a major US base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for American strikes on key nuclear facilities, with explosions ringing out in Doha and projectiles seen streaking overhead. Qatar, which lies 190 kilometres (120 miles) south of Iran and is home to the largest US military facility in the Middle East, said its "air defences successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base". US President Donald Trump claimed a ceasefire has been achieved between Iran and Israel on Monday. (With inputs from agencies)
