Houthi forces in Yemen say that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia struck a yacht that had on board 14 Indian nationals in the Red Sea off the coast of Zuqar Island Thursday. The group claimed that its personnel were trying to save the lives of those on board but did not cite any independent evidence to substantiate this.
Ahmed Mahmoud, a spokesman for the Houthi military, indicated later more details will be released. In a post on X, he cited that Saudi air forces targeted the yacht and that the saecane incident may pose a threat to world navigation in the Red Sea.
Also, the Houthis asked the international community to step in, alleging that Saudi Arabia is acting “unwisely” in the strategically significant maritime zone.
India Seeks Further Information
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has only received reports of a straying of 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht off the coast of Yemen, it said.
The ministry has on its own established more facts about the incident and is keen to extend further assistance to the safety and welfare of the Indian nationals.”
The ministry had not verified the incident, nor yet made public information re the state of the people on board this yacht.
Part of the southern Red Sea is a crucial international shipping channel and marine security events in the area have grown to concern over the safety of merchant- and civilian-engineered vessels.
Incident Follows Deadly Attack in Saudi Arabia
The incident on the yacht reported occurred a day after a terrorist attack at a King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia reportedly killed an Indian national and another person. Two others were also wounded who were also nationals of India.
So far, officials haven’t made a public announcement as to whether the incidents on the yacht posed further threats to Indians in the region. India is asking for further details to understand the nature of incident and helping efforts to the affected ones.