It said approximately 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims had returned to India on available flights over the past week, in addition to more than 10,000 regular Umrah pilgrims who had travelled back on scheduled flights. (AP Photo/File)

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday it was in touch with tour operators and airlines to facilitate the early return of Indian Haj and Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia following flight disruptions caused by attacks on airport infrastructure. The MEA’s response comes after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi flagged that thousands were stuck in Makkah and Madina.

“Four thousand pilgrims from India are stuck in Makkah and Madina. They flew via IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India but are now stuck there since these airlines have cancelled their flights,” Owaisi said in a post on X.…