All 14 Indian Nationals Aboard Yacht off Yemen Coast Safe: Indian Embassy

In a statement posted on X, the embassy said reports indicated that all 14 Indians were safe and located in the vicinity of Hodeidah in Yemen. It said it would continue working to safeguard their welfare.

Earlier, the embassy had said it was seeking further information about the incident, which reportedly occurred off Yemen's coast on October 22 and involved Indian nationals believed to be sailors aboard the yacht.

Given the prevailing conflict situation, the embassy said, verified information about the circumstances of the incident was not immediately available. It had contacted various parties to establish the facts and said it would share updates once reliable information became available.

On Thursday, Yemen's Houthi movement claimed that its forces had launched a rescue operation after Saudi Arabia allegedly targeted an Indian yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the information was preliminary and that further details would be provided later. He accused Saudi Arabia of endangering international navigation in the Red Sea. The allegation regarding the attack has not been independently verified.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions following an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, in which one Indian national was among two people killed and two other Indians were injured, according to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.

India on Thursday condemned attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the incident at King Fahd International Airport and an attack on Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province on October 21.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the attacks had resulted in civilian casualties and injuries and called for an immediate halt to strikes against civilian and critical infrastructure.

The ministry added that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh was in contact with Saudi authorities and would provide all possible assistance to affected Indian nationals. It also expressed India's solidarity with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty and voiced hope for an early return to peace and normalcy in the region.