The Indian Embassy in Yemen said on Friday that all 14 Indian nationals on board a yacht involved in an incident off the coast of Yemen are safe, and that it will continue to work to ensure their well-being.
In a statement shared on X, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia stated that reports suggest all 14 Indian nationals are safe and located around Hodeidah in Yemen, and that it will continue to work for ensuring their well-being. Earlier in the day, the embassy said it had been making efforts to find more details about the incident off the coast of Yemen on October 22, in which Indian nationals, apparently sailors, were on board a yacht.
What Did the Embassy Say About the October 22 Incident?
The embassy stated that given the prevailing conflict situation, exact information was not currently available. It said it had reached out to different parties to establish the circumstances and facts of the incident and hoped to update as soon as authentic information became available.
The reassurance on Friday followed those efforts, with the embassy indicating that the 14 Indians were located around Hodeidah and were safe.
What Have the Houthis Claimed About the Yacht?
On Thursday, Yemen's Houthis claimed that their forces engaged in a rescue operation after Saudi Arabia targeted an Indian yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea. Citing preliminary information, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the Yemeni Armed Forces would provide more details later.
Saree had posted on X that, according to preliminary information, the yacht near Zuqar Island was carrying 14 people of Indian nationality and that the Yemeni Armed Forces were rescuing them. He called the alleged targeting a reckless act that threatened international navigation in the Red Sea. These claims have not been independently verified.
How Does This Link to the Attacks in Saudi Arabia?
The latest incident comes after an Indian national was among two people killed, while two other Indian nationals were injured, in an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia's Dammam on Wednesday, according to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.
India on Thursday condemned the continued attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the attack on King Fahd International Airport and Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province on October 21, which resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. The Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is in contact with the Saudi authorities and will provide all possible assistance, expressed India's solidarity with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, and reiterated that attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately.
