Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Saturday that 24 Pakistani crew members, along with 27 others aboard a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker in Yemen, were safe after coming under attack by Israeli drones earlier this month.
The incident took place on September 17 when the LPG tanker was docked at the Rus-Isa port in Yemen, an area under the Qahouti rebels. The 27 crew members included two Sri Lankans and one Nepali, while the ship’s captain was also a Pakistani.
The foreign office earlier stated that the Pakistani crew had safely made their way out of the Yemeni waters after the efforts were carried out for their release. Nakvi added that the LPG tanker exploded following the drone strikes from Israel. The crew successfully managed to extinguish the fire; however, after the attack, the vessel was captured by Qahouti rebels, and the crew was held hostage aboard the ship before being secured safely.
“An LPG tanker with 27 crew members (24 Pakistanis, including Captain Mukhtar Akbar; 2 Sri Lankans; 1 Nepali) was attacked by an Israeli drone while docked at Ras al-Esa port (under Houthi control) on 17 September 2025. One LPG tank exploded, and the crew managed to extinguish the fire. The vessel was subsequently stopped by Houthi boats, and the crew were held hostage aboard the ship,” said Mohsin Naqvi in the tweet on Saturday.
Efforts were made by Pakistani officials for the release of the Pakistani crew members. “I am profoundly grateful to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha and other MOI officers, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, our colleagues in Saudi Arabia, and especially the officials of our security agencies who worked day and night under extraordinary conditions to secure the safe release of our citizens when hope was fading. Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters.”
An LPG tanker with 27 crew members (24 Pakistanis, including Captain Mukhtar Akbar; 2 Sri Lankans; 1 Nepali) was attacked by an Israeli drone while docked at Ras al-Esa port (under Houthi control) on 17 September 2025. One LPG tank exploded and the crew managed to extinguish the…
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) September 27, 2025
The Foreign Office also said that the tanker had caught fire off the coast of Yemen on September 17th. The relevant Pakistan embassies had established contacts with the authorities in Yemen to ensure the well-being of the crew upon receiving the news.
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“Efforts were made to set the tanker underway again,” it added. “Today, the LPG tanker has departed [from the] port and is making its] way out of Yemeni waters. The entire crew, including Pakistani nationals, on board is safe and sound,” it said.
“Efforts were made to set the tanker underway again,” it added. All this while, FO further stated that diplomatic missions also maintained the contact with the family members of the Pakistani cew and kept them updated.
“Today, the LPG tanker has departed [from the] port and is making [its] way out of Yemeni waters. The entire crew, including Pakistani nationals, on board is safe and sound,” it said.