Indian Embassy probes yacht incident involving 14 nationals off Yemen coast

The Indian Embassy contacted multiple parties to verify a yacht incident off Yemen. The regional conflict has delayed confirmation while concerns grow over Indian sailors' safety.

In Short

• Exact information remains unavailable because conflict conditions hamper independent verification
• Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree blamed Saudi forces for targeting the vessel
• Houthi forces reportedly began rescue operations for sailors near Yuqar Island

The Indian Embassy in Yemen said on Friday that it had contacted different parties to establish the circumstances and facts surrounding an incident off the Yemeni coast involving a yacht that apparently had Indian nationals on board, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

The embassy said exact information was not available because of the conflict in the region and that it would provide an update once it received authentic details.

Some Arab media reports on Thursday quoted Yemen's Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree as claiming that Saudi forces had targeted the Indian yacht near Yuqar Island, off Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Saree said the yacht was carrying 14 Indian nationals and that Houthi forces were rescuing them. He added that more details would be provided later.

“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,” the Indian mission said on social media on Friday, according to PTI.

“Given the prevailing conflict situation exact information is not currently available. We have reached out to different parties to establish circumstances and facts of the incident and hope to update as soon as authentic information becomes available,” the mission said.

The embassy had said on Thursday that it was trying to ascertain details of the incident and would provide all possible help to ensure the safety of the 14 Indian nationals. “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.

The incident took place amid escalating hostilities between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides targeting each other's facilities and infrastructure. An Indian national was killed and three others were injured in two separate attacks on a major airport and an oil field in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Indian mission said it was continuing its efforts to verify the details of the yacht incident and would provide assistance to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian nationals reportedly on board.

With PTI Inputs

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