LPG tanker with 24 Pakistanis among 27 crew aboard released from Houthis' captivity after Israeli drone attack

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday confirmed that a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker with 24 Pakistanis on board, which was attacked by an Israeli drone earlier this month, has finally been released from the captivity of Yemen’s Houthis. The vessel was carrying 27 people on board: 24 Pakistanis, 2 Sri Lankans and 1 Nepali.

The LPG tanker was held hostage by Houthis after it was attacked by Israeli drones in Yemeni waters. The incident reflected the turbulent situation in the region. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Naqvi confirmed that the vessel has now been released. “Alhamdulillah, the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and are out of Yemeni waters," Naqvi wrote in the post.

In the post, Naqvi noted that the vessel was attacked by Israeli drones on 17 September 2025 while it was at the Ras al-Esa port, which is under Houthi control. “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,” the Pakistani minister added.

Authorities working to ensure safety of nationals: Naqvi

In the post, Naqvi mentioned the officials who worked with Yemeni authorities to ensure the safety of the passengers. “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," Naqvi wrote in the post.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistani Foreign Office released a statement, expressing concerns over the incident and mentioning that Pakistani embassies established contacts with the authorities in Yemen to ensure the well-being of the crew, Geo News reported.

In the statement, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that efforts were made to set the tanker underway again. He mentioned that diplomatic missions also maintained contact with the family members of the Pakistani crew and kept them updated about the latest situation. “Today, the LPG tanker has departed port and is making way out of the Yemeni waters. The entire crew, including Pakistani nationals on board, is safe and sound,” he added.