14 Indians still in Yemen after Red Sea incident; India pushes for return

India is trying to contact 14 Indians reported safe in Yemen after an incident involving a boat in the Red Sea and is examining ways to bring them home. The Ministry of External Affairs said they were in the Hodeidah region, but officials have yet to establish what happened to the vessel or who was responsible.

MEA seeks contact with 14 Indians in Hodeidah

At a media briefing on Friday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was in touch with various parties in Yemen and would seek help from members of the Indian community to reach the group.

Jaiswal said officials understood that the 14 Indians, who had been travelling on a dhow, were safe. He said India would work to ensure their welfare and examine the possibility of their return. He added that "will try to reach out to them through parties and through our community members" to assess their welfare and possible return to India.

The Indian Embassy in Yemen had earlier said the group was believed to be in or around Hodeidah, a port city on Yemen's Red Sea coast. It said the ongoing conflict had made it difficult to obtain precise information about the incident.

Official statements have not confirmed direct contact with all 14 Indians, and no date has been set for their return. Their identities and the condition of the vessel are also yet to be disclosed.

Houthi allegation against Saudi Arabia remains unverified

The incident was reported on Thursday, when Yemen's Houthi movement said it was rescuing 14 Indians from a boat near Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of striking the vessel.

India has not confirmed that Saudi forces attacked the boat. The Indian mission said it was contacting different parties to establish the circumstances and facts of the incident. 

Red Sea conflict

Hodeidah is largely controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, while Yemen's internationally recognised government is based in Aden. Fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed side has intensified in recent weeks, making travel and communication in parts of the country difficult.

Zuqar Island is near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow shipping passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Commercial ships use this route to travel between Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and the latest fighting has increased concerns about the safety of crews.

The incident also comes days after attacks on Saudi Arabian infrastructure affected Indian citizens. An Indian national was killed and three others were injured in strikes on Dammam airport and the Shaybah oil field on October 21. India condemned the attacks on civilian and energy facilities and called for them to stop.

More than a dozen Indian seafarers have been killed and three are missing in the Gulf and the wider West Asian maritime region since the conflict began in February.