ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that an LPG tanker carrying 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis, was attacked by an Israeli drone while docked at Yemen’s Ras Issa port on September 17.
Naqvi said the strike caused an LPG tank to explode, sparking a fire that was later extinguished by the crew. He added that the vessel was subsequently intercepted by Houthi boats and the crew held aboard the ship before being released.
The Foreign Office confirmed earlier that all Pakistanis aboard the vessel were safe and the tanker had departed Yemeni waters. The crew also included two Sri Lankans and one Nepali, with a Pakistani national serving as captain.
Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Houthi positions during the Gaza conflict, as the Iran-backed rebels launched missiles and drones at Israel and Red Sea shipping in support of Palestinians.
Naqvi expressed gratitude to Pakistani diplomatic and security officials in Oman and Saudi Arabia for efforts leading to the safe release of the crew. He said the mission was accomplished “under extraordinary conditions when hope was fading.”
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