The Indian embassy in Yemen said it was verifying reports of the incident and would extend all possible assistance to ensure the safety of the 14 Indian nationals.
Yemen’s Houthi forces on Thursday alleged that Saudi Arabia had targeted a yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea. The group said its forces were attempting to rescue those on board the vessel.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said further details about the incident would be shared later. The allegation, however, has not been independently verified.
“The Saudi enemy is targeting an Indian yacht near Zuqar Island, carrying 14 people of Indian nationality, according to preliminary information. The Yemeni Armed Forces are rescuing them and will provide more details later. This reckless act by the Saudi enemy in targeting it threatens international navigation in the Red Sea, and the international community must stop the Saudi enemy from these reckless actions,” Saree posted on X.
The Indian embassy in Yemen said it was verifying reports of the incident and would extend all possible assistance to ensure the safety of the 14 Indian nationals.
“We have seen reports regarding an incident involving 14 Indian nationals on board a yacht off the coast of Yemen today. We are ascertaining further details about the incident and will provide all possible help for ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian nationals,” it said in a post on X.
In a subsequent update, India said it was reaching out to various parties to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident reported off Yemen’s coast on October 22. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the prevailing conflict situation had made it difficult to obtain precise information about the incident.
“We are continuing to make efforts to find more details about the incident off the coast of Yemen on October 22, in which apparently there were Indian nationals (sailors) on board a yacht. Given the prevailing conflict situation, exact information is not currently available. We have reached out to different parties to establish the circumstances and facts of the incident and hope to update as soon as authentic information becomes available.