Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday confirmed the safe release of 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis, who were aboard an LPG tanker struck by an Israeli drone at Yemen’s Ras Issa port on September 17.
The attack caused one of the LPG tanks on the vessel to explode, igniting a fire that the crew successfully extinguished. However, shortly after the strike, the ship was intercepted by Houthi boats, and the crew, including Pakistani captain Mukhtar Ahmed, was taken hostage.
Naqvi expressed deep gratitude to the Foreign Office and Pakistani diplomatic teams for their relentless efforts, saying the release was achieved under “extraordinary circumstances” when hope was dwindling. He particularly thanked Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, Pakistani representatives in Saudi Arabia, and security agencies for working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of nationals.
“Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters,” the minister announced on X.
The Foreign Office had earlier confirmed that all Pakistani crew members were “safe, healthy, and making their way out of Yemeni waters.” It added that Pakistan’s embassies in the region had remained in close contact with Yemeni authorities, as well as with the families of the crew, throughout the ordeal.
Apart from the Pakistanis, the ship’s crew also included two Sri Lankans and one Nepali national. The FO further stated that, immediately after the attack, efforts were made to set the damaged vessel underway again and that constant diplomatic engagement was maintained until the ship was freed.
Officials underscored that the incident highlighted the risks faced by civilian vessels amid ongoing regional tensions in Yemeni waters.
