The Ministry of External Affairs reported Wednesday that air strikes coordinated by a Saudi-led alliance at a Yemeni port has left seven Indian nationals missing, with their current status unconfirmed.
This report contradicts earlier statements from local sources about the incident. Initially, the sources claimed that on Tuesday, air strikes had killed at least 20 Indian nationals in air strikes on fuel smugglers at a Yemeni port, according to Reuters.
The Indian nationals had become involved in the incident when their boat was travelling across the Red Sea from the Somalian port of Berbera to Mokha in Yemen got caught-up in the raid.
"We've seen media reports about the death of Indian nationals in Yemen. The Indian embassy in Djibouti is in touch with local contacts. We have ascertained that two boats came under aerial attack, boats were carrying a total of 20 Indian crew members," MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said, according to The Times of India.
"Out of 20 crew members, 13 are alive and 7 are reported to be missing," Swarup continued.
Indian embassy officials are now due to meet with the owner of one of the boats in order to gain more information about the incident, as well as to inquire about the fate of the missing seven, according to The Express Tribune.
The incident comes as violence escalates between Houthi forces and the Saudi-led alliance. Last week, an air strike on a factory used by the Houthis to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) killed 36 people. Just like with this incident, reports about the incident differed, as civilians reported the factory had actually been a bottling plant.
