Israel targets a ship in Yemen, but 24 Pakistanis are safe.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi disclosed on Saturday that an Israeli drone had hit a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker carrying 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis, while it was parked at a Yemeni port earlier this month. He stated that none of the Pakistani sailors on board the ship were hurt.
According to the foreign ministry, the ship has already left Ras al-Esa port with all of its crew members, including all Pakistanis, “safe and unharmed.” It would not, however, disclose the cause of the LPG tanker fire.
The Houthi militia’s targeting of commercial vessels in revenge for Israel’s war in Gaza has turned the Red Sea into a flashpoint of geopolitical tension. The sea links the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean. It is tucked away between Africa and the Middle East.
A news outlet reported that the drone strike caused a fire to start on the Iranian-to-Yemeni ship. The crew was briefly evacuated before going back to the ship to put out the fire, according to the story, which also cited diplomatic sources.
The attack is the most recent in almost a year of Houthi and Israeli attacks and counterattacks, which are a result of the war in Gaza.
The ship carrying 27 crew members—24 Pakistanis under the command of Captain Mukhtar Akbar, two Sri Lankans, and one Nepali—was hit by an Israeli drone on September 17 while docked at Ras al-Esa port, which is under Houthi control, according to a social media post by Interior Minister Naqvi.
He posted on ‘X’, the former Twitter, “One LPG tank exploded, but the crew managed to contain the fire.” The crew was taken hostage aboard the tanker after it was intercepted by Houthi boats shortly after.
Naqvi commended the “tireless efforts” of Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, and security agency personnel in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, who labored “day and night under extraordinary conditions” to ensure the crew’s release.
In his post, Naqvi added, “Thank God, the tanker and its crew have now been freed by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters.”
In an evasive statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson stated that an LPG tanker caught fire off the coast of Yemen on September 17. He claimed that 24 Pakistanis were among the ship’s multicultural crew.
“The concerned Pakistani embassies made contact with Yemeni authorities after learning of the situation in order to guarantee the crew’s safety. It was also stated that attempts were made to get the ship moving again.
Additionally, the diplomatic missions kept in touch with and informed the Pakistani crew’s relatives of the most recent developments.
The episode has highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic and security coordination in ensuring the safety of its citizens abroad and brought attention to the increasing threats faced by commercial shipping in war zones.