Houthis Say They Are Rescuing 14 Indians After Red Sea Boat Attack

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Thursday they were trying to rescue 14 Indians aboard a boat attacked near Jabal Zuqar island in the Red Sea. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, identified the site as near Jabal Zuqar island, close to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key global shipping route, Reuters reported.

Saree blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack. The claim came as the Houthis reported fresh strikes on Saudi Arabia, widening a flare-up that has hit energy assets, airports and Indian nationals in the kingdom.

The Indian Embassy in Yemen on Friday said it has reached out to different parties to "establish circumstances and facts"

"We are continuing to make efforts to find more details about the incident off the coast of Yemen on October 22 in which apparently there were Indian nationals on board a yacht," the Indian mission posted on social media on Friday.

Earlier two people were killed, including one Indian national, and eight were injured, including two Indians. India later condemned the attacks, while its missions in Saudi Arabia stepped up assistance for affected nationals and stranded pilgrims.

Saudi Targets Evacuated

Saudi state oil giant Aramco asked employees to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran and work remotely on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing six people familiar with the matter. The reason for the evacuation remains unclear.

The move followed a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia targeting energy infrastructure and airports. Saree said the group launched attacks on Aramco facilities in the Red Sea city of Yanbu and the Saudi defence ministry in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities have not confirmed those claims. The Saudi-led coalition stated that it intercepted drones over Riyadh and Medina on Thursday.

Pilgrims Return Home

India is working with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the return of pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia after Indian carriers suspended flights amid the escalation in hostilities. The effort covers Umrah pilgrims caught in the disruption over the past week.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said around 3,000 stranded Indian pilgrims had returned to India on available flights over the previous week. He added that more than 10,000 other pilgrims had also returned during the same period.

“Arrangements are being discussed to facilitate the return of other Umrah pilgrims at the earliest,” Jaiswal said. He added that Indian missions in Riyadh and Jeddah, with the support of community volunteers, were providing assistance to the pilgrims.

Markets React

The escalating conflict unsettled energy markets on Thursday. Brent crude futures rose to $111.88 a barrel after touching $112.55 earlier in the session, the highest level since May 18.

Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 2.5% on Thursday after reports of the evacuation at Aramco's headquarters, according to LSEG data. The renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has ended a United Nations-brokered truce that largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022.