India has safely evacuated 19 seafarers stranded in Yemen for two weeks. Their return comes amid renewed regional tensions and concerns over Red Sea security.
Nineteen Indian seafarers stranded in Yemen for the past two weeks have been safely evacuated and are on their way back to India, the Indian Embassy in Yemen said on Sunday.
The seafarers were stranded in the Yemeni cities of Hodeidah and Sana’a. Confirming their evacuation, the Indian Embassy said all 19 were safe and in good health.
“All seafarers are safe, in good health, and on their way back to India. The Embassy sincerely thanks all concerned for their valuable cooperation and continued support in facilitating the safe evacuation of our Indian nationals,” the mission said in a post on X.
The evacuation comes days after India confirmed that 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht involved in an incident off the Yemeni coast were safe. However, it remains unclear whether the 14 yacht passengers are among the 19 seafarers evacuated.
On October 23, the Indian mission had said that all 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht near Hodeidah were safe and that it was in touch with relevant parties to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Earlier, some Arab media outlets quoted Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree as claiming that Saudi forces had targeted the Indian yacht near Yuqar Island in the Red Sea, close to the Yemeni coast. Saree had said the yacht was carrying 14 Indian nationals and that Houthi forces were involved in rescuing them.
The incident took place amid renewed tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with attacks and retaliatory strikes reported in recent days.
Saudi Arabia has intercepted Houthi missiles and drones, while Saudi-led coalition forces have carried out airstrikes in Yemen. The escalation has raised fears of a wider conflict after a period of relative calm under a 2022 truce.
