ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that an Israeli drone attacked an LPG tanker near the Yemeni coast, which caused the ship to catch fire and 27 people, including 24 Pakistanis, were taken hostage by the Houthis, who have been released. In his tweet, Mohsin Naqvi said that an Israeli drone attacked an LPG tanker off the coast of Yemen’s Ras al-Issa. At the time of the attack, there were 27 people on board the ship, including 24 Pakistanis. A tank on the ship exploded, but the crew controlled the fire. The Interior Minister said that later, Houthi forces stopped the ship and took the crew hostage, but with the help of Pakistani security agencies and diplomatic efforts, the crew was rescued and all Pakistani crew including Captain Mukhtar Akbar remained safe. The Houthis safely released the ship and the crew, and the ship has left Yemeni waters. He further said that the efforts of Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bukhari and other officials are commendable, and that Pakistani teams play a key role in the Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Due to our diplomatic efforts, the Houthi rebels released the hostage-taking plane, the Interior Minister said.
Published: September 27, 2025 | Updated 2 months ago
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that an Israeli drone attacked an LPG tanker near the Yemeni coast, which caused the ship to catch fire and 27 people, including 24 Pakistanis, were taken hostage by the Houthis, who have been released. In his tweet, Mohsin Naqvi said that an Israeli drone attacked an LPG tanker off the coast of Yemen’s Ras al-Issa. At the time of the attack, there were 27 people on board the ship, including 24 Pakistanis. A tank on the ship exploded, but the crew controlled the fire. The Interior Minister said that later, Houthi forces stopped the ship and took the crew hostage, but with the help of Pakistani security agencies and diplomatic efforts, the crew was rescued and all Pakistani crew including Captain Mukhtar Akbar remained safe. The Houthis safely released the ship and the crew, and the ship has left Yemeni waters. He further said that the efforts of Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bukhari and other officials are commendable, and that Pakistani teams play a key role in the Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia and Oman.