Israeli drone targets LPG tanker with 24 Pakistanis aboard at Yemen port: Naqvi

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker with 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis, was attacked by an Israeli drone while it was docked at a port in Yemen earlier this month.

After the Foreign Office (FO) said earlier today that Pakistanis aboard the LPG tanker were safe and sound and making their way out of Yemeni waters, Interior Minister Naqvi posted on X that the vessel was attacked on September 17 while it was docked at the Ras Issa port, which was under the control of Houthi rebels.

Israel launched repeated attacks on Houthi targets during the Gaza conflict, as the Iran-backed rebels fire missiles and drones at Israel and Red Sea shipping, claiming solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

According to Interior Minister, apart from Pakistanis, the LPG tanker’s crew included two Sri Lankans and a Nepali. He said the vessel’s captain was also a Pakistani.

Naqvi added that an LPG tank had exploded following the attack, but the crew managed to extinguish the fire. “The vessel was subsequently stopped by Houthi boats and the crew were held hostage aboard the ship,” he said.

Earlier, the Foreign Office spokesperson said 24 Pakistani nationals aboard an LPG tanker that caught fire off the coast of Yemen were safe and sound and making their way out of Yemeni waters. 

The FO also said that the tanker had caught fire off the coast of Yemen on September 17, adding that upon receiving the news about the incident, the relevant Pakistan embassies had established contacts with the authorities in Yemen to ensure the well-being of the crew. Efforts were made to set the tanker underway again, FO added.