New Delhi: All 14 Indian nationals who were rescued from a damaged yacht late Thursday are safe and “located around” Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, the Indian Embassy in Yemen confirmed Friday. Indian officials are in touch with local authorities over their situation given the prevailing conflict in the country, it is learnt.
“Reports suggest that all 14 Indian nationals are safe and located around Hodeidah in Yemen. We will continue to work for ensuring their well being,” the Indian Embassy in Yemen said in a statement on the micro-blogging platform X.
The embassy added in a separate statement that the 14 nationals were “sailors” on board the yacht, and efforts were being made “to establish circumstances and facts of the incident and hope to update as soon as authentic information becomes available”.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia is in control of large parts of Hodeidah governorate (Yemeni equivalent of states) on the Red Sea coast, specifically the ports in the region. The internationally recognised government of Yemen has military positions located to the south of Hodeidah, in the Taiz governorate. The city of Taiz, which is around 240 kilometres from Hodeidah, is currently besieged by the Houthi forces after fighting broke out in the country last month.
India recognises the government of Yemen that has been operating out of Aden since the Houthis captured the capital city of Sana’a in 2014. The internationally recognised government is backed by Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other Arab states.
The Houthis in Yemen claimed Thursday that it was in the process of rescuing 14 Indians from a yacht allegedly targeted by Saudi Arabia near the island of Zuqar in the Red Sea. The Indian government is still looking into the incident, to confirm who exactly struck the yacht.
“The Saudi enemy is targeting an Indian yacht near Zuqar Island, carrying 14 people of Indian nationality according to preliminary information,” Brigadier Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, said in a statement on X.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces are rescuing them and will provide more details later. This reckless act by the Saudi enemy in targeting it threatens international navigation in the Red Sea, and the international community must stop the Saudi enemy from these reckless actions,” he added.
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Tensions soaring
The Houthis have been in the midst of a war with Riyadh and an international coalition for the better part of the last 11 years. The Iran-backed group is in control of large parts of northern Yemen, including Sana’a, while the internationally recognised government operates out of Aden.
The latest incident came just after India Thursday condemned the continuing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, carried out by the Houthis. At least one Indian national was killed Wednesday in a strike on the King Fahd International Airport in Dammamm.
“We strongly condemn the continued attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province on October 21. These attacks have unfortunately resulted in civilian deaths and injuries,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in its statement.
The statement added: “One Indian national unfortunately died and two others were injured in the attack on Dammam airport, while another Indian national was injured in the attack on the Shaybah oil field. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and wish speedy recovery to those injured. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh is in contact with the Saudi authorities and will provide all possible assistance.”
New Delhi called on all parties to cease strikes against civilian infrastructure and underlined that India “stands in solidarity with the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”. The intensification of the war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has come at a time when West Asia continues reeling from the impacts of the US war with Iran.
The Houthis are also known as the Ansar Allah. For roughly four years, the two sides in the Yemeni civil war maintained a ceasefire, which unravelled quickly in the last couple of months. The Houthis moved to capture the strategic port of Mocha on 10 September 2026, allowing them better control of the Strait of Bab el Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Almost 260,000 people have been displaced since the end of August. The Houthis are currently besieging the city of Taiz, which is home to around one million people. The entire governorate is home to roughly four million people, who are currently at risk of a humanitarian crisis, the Yemeni government said in a statement to the United Nations last week.
Saudi oil has been travelling through the Red Sea, following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in its east since the end of February. The Red Sea is vital for the Gulf Kingdom’s economy, as the US-Iran war continues with no end in sight.
The US and Israel have developed plans for continuing its strikes on Iran next month, according to American media reports. The Indian community in West Asia is over nine-million strong. The US State Department Wednesday confirmed that it has ordered all “non-emergency” government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia immediately.
Edited by Sunanda Ranjan