On Saturday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the release of a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker that had 24 Pakistani nationals on board.
This vessel was attacked by an Israeli drone earlier this month and has now been freed from the custody of Yemen’s Houthis. The tanker was carrying a total of 27 individuals: 24 Pakistanis, 2 Sri Lankans, and 1 Nepali.
The LPG tanker was taken hostage by the Houthis following the drone attack in Yemeni waters, highlighting the volatile situation in the region. Naqvi took to X, previously known as Twitter, to announce the vessel’s release. He stated, “Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters.”
In his post, Naqvi detailed that the vessel was struck by Israeli drones on 17 September 2025 while docked at the Ras al-Esa port, which is under Houthi control. He explained, “One LPG tank exploded, and the crew managed to extinguish the fire. The vessel was subsequently halted by Houthi boats, and the crew were taken hostage aboard the ship.”
Naqvi also acknowledged the efforts of officials who collaborated with Yemeni authorities to ensure the safety of the passengers. He expressed his deep gratitude to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha and other Ministry of Interior officers, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, colleagues in Saudi Arabia, and particularly the officials from our security agencies who worked tirelessly under challenging conditions to secure the safe release of our citizens when hope was dwindling.
Earlier that day, the Pakistani Foreign Office issued a statement expressing concern regarding the incident and noted that Pakistani embassies had established communication with authorities in Yemen to ensure the well-being of the crew, as reported by Geo News.
In the statement, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan indicated that attempts were made to get the tanker moving once more. He noted that diplomatic missions also kept in touch with the family members of the Pakistani crew, providing them with updates regarding the current situation. “Today, the LPG tanker has left the port and is navigating out of the Yemeni waters. The entire crew, which includes Pakistani nationals on board, is safe and secure,” he further stated.
