The Indian embassy in Yemen said on Friday that all 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht involved in an incident off Yemen’s coast were reported safe. The embassy said reports suggested the group was located around Hodeidah.
The incident followed a claim by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who said on Thursday that they were rescuing a boat carrying 14 Indians. The group said the vessel had been attacked off Jabal Zuqar island, near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, and blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack. Saudi authorities did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Embassy says it will keep working on welfare
In a post on X, the embassy said reports indicated all 14 were safe and that it would continue efforts to ensure their wellbeing. The post did not elaborate on the circumstances. Earlier, the embassy had said precise information about the group was not available and that it was trying to establish the facts of the incident.
Also read: Houthis claim attack on Saudi position in Aden, third in a week
Indian seafarers exposed to West Asian maritime risks
India is the world’s third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working across global shipping fleets, according to government data. Since the Middle East conflict began in February, more than a dozen Indian seafarers have been killed and three are missing in the Gulf and the wider West Asian maritime region.
Houthi and Saudi-led coalition clashes continue
Fighting between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has continued since the group pushed towards Bab el-Mandeb. The strait is a key shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Red Sea. India’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that it condemned attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, describing them as “unacceptable”.
