Nineteen Indian seafarers stranded in the Yemeni cities of Hodeidah and Sana’a for the past two weeks have been successfully evacuated by the Embassy of India to Yemen.

In a statement posted on X, the Embassy confirmed: “The Embassy of India to Yemen has successfully evacuated 19 Indian seafarers who were stranded in Hodeidah and Sana’a (Yemen) for the past two weeks.”

The mission stated that all 19 seafarers are safe, in good health and travelling back to India following the operation.

The Embassy also expressed gratitude to all parties involved in facilitating the evacuation, saying: “The Embassy sincerely thanks all concerned for their valuable cooperation and continued support in facilitating the safe evacuation of our Indian nationals.”

The evacuation comes against the backdrop of continuing instability and security risks across Yemen and the wider West Asia region, where maritime routes have faced increasing threats linked to the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this month, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal revealed that India has lost 23 nationals in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The figure includes 15 Indian seafarers, while five Indian nationals were killed in attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea region. Two other Indian nationals remain missing.

The latest evacuation also coincides with heightened regional tensions. On Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition announced that its air  defence systems had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

In a statement on X, the coalition said: “Air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia toward Riyadh.”

The missile interception followed warnings issued by Saudi Arabia’s Civil  Defence authorities regarding a “potential danger” in the eastern city of Dammam, as well as the governorates of Abqaiq and Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province.

Residents in the affected areas were advised to seek shelter in the nearest safe location and comply with official safety instructions issued by authorities.

The security alerts came after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group had carried out six missile and drone operations targeting strategic installations across Saudi Arabia, underscoring the continued escalation of hostilities in the region and the persistent risks facing both civilians and international maritime activity.

ANI