14 Indians on Yacht Caught in Red Sea Row; Tanker With 21 Indians Hit in Kuwait
India seeks details of yacht incident as all 21 Indian seafarers aboard the Kuwait-flagged tanker remain safe.
New Delhi: Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed that Saudi forces had targeted a yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the Red Sea and said they had launched a rescue operation. In a separate incident, a Kuwait-flagged oil tanker carrying 21 Indian seafarers was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. All crew members aboard the tanker were reported safe.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that Saudi forces had attacked the yacht near the Yemeni coast and that Houthi forces were rescuing those aboard. He said further details would be provided later. The allegation could not be independently verified.
The Indian Embassy in Yemen said it was ascertaining details of the incident and would provide all possible assistance to ensure the safety and well-being of the 14 Indians.
"We have seen reports regarding an incident involving 14 Indian nationals on board a yacht off the coast of Yemen today," the embassy said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the Kuwait-flagged oil tanker, MT Al Dasma, carrying 21 Indian seafarers, was hit by an unidentified projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on October 21.
Sonowal confirmed that all 21 Indians and the remaining crew members were safe. He said the government was closely monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with the ship management company.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the tanker was struck about 11 nautical miles west of Bukha in Oman. A fire broke out aboard the vessel but was subsequently extinguished.
The incidents come amid escalating hostilities in the region and growing concerns over the safety of commercial shipping.
An Indian national was killed and three others injured in separate attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field on Wednesday.
India condemned the attacks on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure and called for an immediate end to such strikes. Agencies.
