ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said a liquefied petroleum gas tanker carrying 27 crew members — including 24 Pakistanis — was targeted by an Israeli drone attack while docked at Yemen’s Ras Issa port earlier this month.
In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the minister stated that the incident occurred on September 17, when the vessel was stationed at the Ras Issa port, which is currently under the control of Houthi rebels.
The crew comprised 24 Pakistanis, two Sri Lankans, and one Nepali, with the vessel’s captain also being Pakistani, Naqvi added.
Naqvi added that an LPG tank had exploded following the attack, but the crew managed to extinguish the fire.
“The vessel was subsequently stopped by Houthi boats and the crew were held hostage aboard the ship,” he said, adding that the tanker and its crew “have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters.”
Naqvi said he was “profoundly grateful to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha and other MOI (Ministry of Interior) officers, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, our colleagues in Saudi Arabia, and especially the officials of our security agencies who worked day and night under extraordinary conditions to secure the safe release of our citizens when hope was fading.”
Earlier, the Foreign Office said 24 Pakistani nationals aboard the vessel were safe and sound and making their way out of Yemeni waters.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.