24 Pakistanis safe after Israel targets tanker in Yemen

Drone strike ignites fire on vessel with 27 crew aboard; LPG tanker was docked at Yemen's Ras al-Esa port

ISLAMABAD:

A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker carrying 27 crew members — among them 24 Pakistanis — was struck by an Israeli drone while docked at a Yemeni port earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi revealed on Saturday. All Pakistani sailors on board the vessel remained unharmed, he added.

The foreign ministry, meanwhile, stated that the vessel has already departed Ras al-Esa port with the entire crew — including all Pakistani nationals — "safe and unharmed." However, it wouldn't say what ignited a fire onboard the LPG tanker.

The Red Sea has become a hotspot of geopolitical tension due to Houthi militia's targeting of commercial vessels in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza. The sea is wedged narrowly between Africa and the Middle East and connects the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.

According to a news agency, the drone strike ignited a fire aboard the ship traveling from Iran to Yemen. It further reported quoting diplomatic sources that the crew was temporarily evacuated before returning to the vessel to extinguish the blaze.

The strike is the latest in more than a year of attacks and counterstrikes between Houthis and Israel, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza.

In a social media post, Interior Minister Naqvi wrote that the vessel carrying 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis led by Captain Mukhtar Akbar, two Sri Lankans, and one Nepali, was struck by an Israeli drone on Sept 17 while docked at Ras al-Esa port, an area under Houthi control.

"One LPG tank exploded, but the crew managed to contain the fire," he wrote on 'X', formerly Twitter. Shortly after, Houthi boats intercepted the tanker, and the crew was held hostage aboard the ship.

Naqvi praised the "tireless efforts" of Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, as well as officials in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's security agencies, who worked "day and night under extraordinary conditions" to secure the crew's release.

"Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters," Naqvi further stated in his post.

The Foreign Office spokesperson provided a somewhat vague statement, saying that on Sept 17, an LPG tanker caught fire off the coast of Yemen. The vessel had a multinational crew, including 24 Pakistani nationals, he added.

"On receiving the news about the incident, the concerned Pakistan embassies established contacts with the authorities in Yemen to ensure the well-being of the crew. Efforts were made to set the tanker underway again," it was added.

The diplomatic missions also maintained contact with the family members of the Pakistani crew and kept them updated about the latest situation.

The incident has drawn attention to the growing risks faced by commercial shipping in conflict zones and highlighted Pakistan's diplomatic and security coordination in securing the safety of its citizens abroad.