7 Indian crew members missing after Yemen air strike

As the crisis continues to worsen in strife-torn Yemen, a crew comprising 20 Indians was attacked during the air strikes launched by the Saudi-led forces on the Iranian backed Houthi rebels. Initial media reports claimed that 20 Indians had been killed. However, in an official statement, India’s Ministry of external Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup clarified that most of the crew members were alive and only some of them were missing. “Out of 20 crew members, 13 are alive and 7 are reported to be missing,” he said.

“We’ve seen media reports about the death of Indian nationals in Yemen. The Indian embassy in Djibouti is in touch with local contacts. We have ascertained that two boats came under aerial attack, boats were carrying a total of 20 Indian crew members,” Mr Swarup added. The incident had taken place on September 8 at al-Khokha near Hodeidah Port.

Against the backdrop of the worsening security situation in the West Asian state, the Indian embassy in Yemen’s capital Sana’a has been functioning from Djibouti from April 14. In a multi-pronged operation, Indian agencies managed to rescue 4741 Indians from the violence-beset Yemen in April.

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