ISLAMABAD – An LPG tanker carrying 27 crew members including 24 Pakistanis was targeted by an Israeli drone while docked at Yemen’s Ras Issa port on September 17. The port was under the control of Houthi rebels at the time of the attack.
The strike caused an explosion in one of the tanker’s LPG tanks, though the crew managed to extinguish the fire. Shortly after, Houthi boats intercepted the vessel and held the crew hostage onboard. The ship’s captain who is a Pakistani national, was among those detained. The crew also included two Sri Lankans and one Nepali.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed this development, saying Houthis now released both the tanker and its crew, who have safely exited Yemeni waters. He praised the efforts of Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, officials in Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan’s security agencies for their role in ensuring the release of the sailors.
Earlier today, Foreign Office (FO) said all 24 Pakistanis were “safe and sound” and making their way out of Yemeni waters. The FO added that Pakistani missions in the region had immediately contacted Yemeni authorities after learning of the September 17 fire, and had kept in touch with the crew’s families to update them on the situation.
“The tanker has now departed port and the entire crew, including Pakistani nationals, is out of Yemeni waters,” it said.
