ISLAMABAD, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that 27 crew members aboard an LPG tanker—24 of whom were Pakistani nationals—have been safely released after being held hostage by Houthi rebels near the Yemeni coast.
The incident began on September 17, when an Israeli drone strike targeted the vessel while it was docked at Ras al-Esa port, a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen. The attack caused one of the LPG tanks to explode, but the crew managed to contain the fire.
Shortly after, Houthi boats intercepted the tanker and took the crew hostage. The group included Captain Mukhtar Akbar, two Sri Lankans, and one Nepali.
Minister Naqvi praised the tireless efforts of Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari, Pakistani teams in Oman and Saudi Arabia, and national security agencies, who worked “day and night under extraordinary conditions” to secure the crew’s release.
“Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters,” Naqvi stated on social media.
The successful rescue highlights Pakistan’s growing diplomatic agility and its commitment to protecting citizens abroad amid rising risks in global conflict zones
