20 Indians killed in Saudi-led air strikes at Yemen's Hodeidah port

[Hindustani78]

Thats a very small amount ... PAK also produces oil but the amount is insignificant (atleast for now).

indians smuggling fuel from a war torn Yemen thousands of miles to india... That's nonsense.

Indian diplomats based in Djibouti confirmed that one of the two boats, which had come under aerial bombardment, had been plying between Berbera in Somalia and Mokha in Yemen. “The boats were carrying 20 Indian crew members of which 13 are alive and seven are reported missing,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi. He said Indian Embassy officials in Sanaa, who are now based in Djibouti, were “in constant touch with local authorities”. Indian diplomats were trying to meet the owner of the boats, he added. Though the MEA did not comment on the occupation of the Indian nationals, sources said that they were possibly fishermen.



Before shutting down the embassy in the capital of Yemen, India deployed warships, merchant vessels and planes to evacuate 4,741 citizens in April after the conflict in the Southwest Asian country reached a flashpoint and Saudi Arabia started air-strikes to support forces and militias loyal to President Hadi in their fight against rebel Houthis.

According to the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Centre subsequently requested state governments to provide “all necessary assistance to rehabilitate the returnees and ensure their well-being under the existing state or Central government schemes, for which they would be found otherwise eligible on priority basis”.

 

[gau8av]

Day after Yemen strike, MEA says 13 Indians alive, 7 missing | The Indian Express

 

[Hindustani78]

Injured Indians undergoing treatment at hospital in Yemen | Zee News
Last Updated: Thursday, September 10, 2015 - 21:29

New Delhi: A number of Indians who sustained injuries after their boats came under aerial bombardment while plying between Somalia and Yemen were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Yemeni city of Hodeidah.

Sources said the injured Indians have been admitted to the hospital in Hodeidah and Indian officials in Djibouti are trying to get in touch with them.

Yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that at least seven out of 20 Indian crew members went missing after their boats came under aerial bombardment while plying between Somalia and Yemen.

Disputing reports that 20 Indian nationals were killed in air strikes by Saudi-led coalition forces at Yemen's Hodeidah port, the MEA had said 13 Indian crew members "are alive and 7 are reported missing".

The boats came under aerial bombardment in the afternoon of 8 September. The boats were carrying a total of 20 Indian crew members of which 13 are alive and 7 are reported missing, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup had said yesterday.

 

[Hindustani78]

Six Indians killed, one missing in aerial bombing off Yemen: MEA | Zee News

New Delhi: India said on Friday that six Indians had died following aerial bombardment on two boats carrying 21 Indians off Yemen while one is still unaccounted for. Most of the people were from Gujarat.

In a statement, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the bodies of six of the missing people present on the two boats were recovered on Thursday and brought to the Military Hospital in Djibouti.

He said that two boats, 'Mustafa' and 'Asmar', carrying a total of 21 Indian nationals came under aerial attack on September 8. Following the incident, 14 nationals were rescued and seven were initially reported as missing.

Swarup said that according to information most of the seamen are from Gujarat.

He said that the families of those dead have been informed, and their verbal consent taken for appropriate funeral rites to be performed in Hodeidah as per religious practices.

Of the remaining 15 Indians on the two boats, 14 are safe in Hodeidah, and of these, four are undergoing treatment in a local hospital. All the 14 are in regular touch with their families. One person is still missing, and the mission is working with the local authorities and contacts to ascertain his whereabouts, he said.

Swarup added that the Indian embassy in Yemen's camp office in Djibouti has been constantly in touch with authorities and local contacts to ascertain more details.

 

[Hindustani78]

Google Maps image locates Mocha, a port city in southwestern Yemen.

Updated: September 12, 2015 07:47 IST
Bodies of six Indians killed in Saudi bombing found - The Hindu

onsent taken from families for last rites.
Bodies of six of the seven Indians missing after their boats were bombed by Saudi Arabian forces off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday have been found, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

The killings just off the Hodeidah port, where the Indian men were allegedly smuggling fuel into Yemen, has brought to the fore the smuggling network in the Indian Ocean that is flourishing in recent times, thanks to the political strife along its rim, sources in the Indian security establishment believe.

The MEA spokesperson said: “It is now regrettably informed that late at night on September 10, the bodies of six of the missing persons present on the two boats were recovered and brought to the military hospital. The families of the deceased have been informed, and their verbal consent has been taken for appropriate funeral to be performed today [Friday] in Hodeidah as per religious practices.” Of the remaining 15 Indians on the two boats, 14 are safe at Hodeidah, he said. “One person is still missing, and the mission is working with the local authorities and contacts to ascertain his whereabouts.”

Two boats, named Mustafa and Asmar, carrying 21 Indians came under attack on September 8, the official statement said, but did not clarify what the boats were doing in the strife-torn area.



According to reports in local media and sources in the Indian security establishment, the boats were probably involved in smuggling fuel from Djibouti to Yemen, where crippling fuel shortage has been a part of the civil strife in recent months.



There was a time when subsidised fuel from Yemen was smuggled into international waters for ships, but now fuel from elsewhere is smuggled into various ports of Yemen. There is no electricity in many cities of Yemen, and generators are the only source of power.



Sources said that not just fuel, but weapons and illegal migrants from Africa were being smuggled into Yemen in large numbers. Weapons are pouring in for Houthi rebels, while people are smuggled from the Horn of Africa, where again political instability has long been a part of its history. These illegal immigrants ultimately find their way into Saudi Arabia and other rich Gulf countries.



Flourishing racket



Indian agencies also have evidence to believe that the Indian Ocean is home to flourishing drug smuggling rackets that source high quality heroin and other drugs from Afghanistan, move them along land route into Pakistan, and ship them out from Karachi and nearby areas. Fishing vessels filled with drugs then move into international waters, where they are collected by other boats for movement ahead.

 

[Hindustani78]

Indian evacuees on a rescue boat taking them towards Navy ships anchored off Aden and Al Hodeidah in Yemen in April. File photo: Special Arrangement

Updated: September 13, 2015 03:07 IST
50 Indians stuck in war-torn Yemen - The Hindu

Seven crew members from Gujarat were killed while more than 50 Indians were said to be stuck in “dangerous circumstances” in war-torn Yemen, which is bombed by Saudi Arabia, fighting the rebels in Yemen. The Saudi-led alliance bombed two boats at al-Khokha, a small port near Hodeidah city, on September 8 in which seven persons were killed, all from Gujarat.

“It’s shocking. We are devastated because two persons — Osman Abdul Chomadia (55) and Asgar Anwar Sanghar — from our village were among those killed. They were sailors and used to ferry between India, Dubai, Somalia and Yemen,” said Gannibhai, a resident of Bharana village in Jamnagar district. Both of them had left India seven months back. “We have sent the documents to the authorities, who have performed their last rights also. Their bodies have been buried there,” Gannibhai added.

Of the other five killed, four were from Salaya Mandavi village in Kutch and one from Sikka from Jamnagar.

Adam Bhaya, secretary, Indian Sailing Vessel Association (ISVA) from Salaya, Jamnagar, said: “Five boats are stuck at Khokha port and most of the crew members are from Gujarat. We have requested the Indian authorities to shift other crew members to safe locations. Some of them have been injured very badly and are undergoing treatment.”

Desperate loss
“I have lost everything with the loss of my vessel. It was carrying food stock from Somalia and Yemen. It was bombed without any provocation,” said Isha Thain, owner of al-Amar, on which four crew members were killed.

“They have recovered bodies of three while one is still missing as per our information. But I am worried about those who are alive. They have sent us messages that they are unsafe,” Mr. Isha told The Hindu from Mandavi, Kutch.

 

[OTTOMAN]

Wasn't former Indian army chief in Yemen, to evacuate bhartis?
Were these special type of bhartis? and what were they doing among ranks of terrorists?

 

[Hindustani78]

70 Guj seamen stranded in crisis-hit Yemen: Sailors' group


Nearly 70 sailors from Gujarat are stranded in crisis-hit Yemen for over 15 days now and have appealed to the Indian government to rescue them, days after six Indians were killed when their boat came under Saudi-led air strikes in the Arab country.

According to a sailors' group, nearly 70 seamen from the coastal village of Mandavi in Kutch and from the Jodiya and Salaya villages of Jamnagar are stranded in Yemen along with five of their cargo boats.

"About 70 Gujarati sailors along with five vessels are stranded in Yemen for around 15 days and they now need the government's help for their rescue," Vahanvatta Association of Kutch and Mandavi president Haji Juneja told PTI.

"I yesterday wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs urging them to save our sailors or shift them to a safer place," he said.

"The sailors are in a pitiable condition as some forces have been bombarding them. They escaped death last night when some force, either of the insurgents or the Saudi coalition, began an attack with rocket launchers," he said, adding that the sailors had gone to Yemen on a voyage to deliver cargo.

Meanwhile, one of the stranded sailors, identified as Sikandar from Mandavi village, sent an audio message last night in which he said that they last night came under a bomb attack.

"I am an Indian. My name is Sikandar. We are at Khokha port. They have lobbed three rockets and we somehow managed to save ourselves. We are running here and there to save ourselves," Sikandar says in the message.

"We are 70 Indians stranded here along with five ships. They have been bombarding us with warplanes. Please help us. We are Indians. We are in great difficulty. They will kill us. Please save us," he said.

Yemen has been facing a civil war-like situation with Shiite rebels clashing with pro-government forces. United Nations estimates that more than 4,500 people have been killed in the conflict since March.

The External Affairs Ministry had said on Friday that six Indians were killed after their boat came under Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen on September 8.

The deceased were among seven Indian nationals who were initially reported missing when two boats, 'Mustafa' and 'Asmar', carrying a total of 21 Indian nationals, came under aerial attack.

The ministry had said that of the remaining 15 Indians, 14 were safe in Hodeidah while one person was still missing. It had added that local authorities were being contacted to ascertain his whereabouts.

Wasn't former Indian army chief in Yemen, to evacuate bhartis?
Were these special type of bhartis? and what were they doing among ranks of terrorists?

It was carrying food stock from Somalia and Yemen.


MoS for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh with the Indian nationals in Djibouti

MoS for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh with the Indian nationals

 

[Hindustani78]

'They will kill us, please save us', pleads an Indian sailor stuck in Yemen | Zee News

Last Updated: Monday, September 14, 2015 - 15:06
Sanaa: Despite an assurance of save evacuation by the Ministry of External Affairs, it seems that the sailors in Yemen are yet to avail any help from Indian government.

According to a report by the CNN-IBN, one of the sailors in his audio message has spoken of very tough situation there as “no help has reached” them and they are being bombarded with warplanes.

It has been over a fortnight that 70 Indians have been stuck in the war-torn country of Yemen.

"We are still stranded here. No help has reached us. The situation here is very bad. We were on the boat when they launched airstrike, it landed very close to us, if it landed any closer to us we would have been killed,” the IBNLive.com report quoted a stranded Indian as saying in an udio message.

"I am an Indian. My name is Sikandar. We are at Khokha port. They have lobbed three rockets and we somehow managed to save ourselves. We are running here and there to save ourselves," Sikandar adds in the message.

"We are 70 Indians stranded here along with five ships. They have been bombarding us with warplanes. Please help us. We are Indians. We are in great difficulty. They will kill us. Please save us," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External affairs has assured that steps were being taken for the stranded Indian sailors' safe evacuation.

"Our Mission in Yemen (Camp Office in Djibouti) is aware of the situation and taking steps to ensure safe evacuation of Indians," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in Delhi when asked about the action being taken to rescue the Indians.

Nearly 70 seamen from the coastal village of Mandavi in Kutch and from Jodiya and Salaya villages of Jamnagar were stuck for over 15 days now at Khokha port in Yemen where they had gone to deliver cargo in five boats, a sailors group said in Gujarat and appealed to the government to rescue them.

It came days after six Indians, most of them from Gujarat, were killed when their boat came under Saudi-led air strikes in the Arab country.

With PTI Inputs

 

[Hindustani78]

Working towards safe evacuation of Indians from Yemen: Govt | Zee News

Last Updated: Monday, September 14, 2015 - 22:23
New Delhi: India is coordinating with the local authorities to ensure safe evacuation of its nationals from Yemen after a sailors group claimed that 70 seamen from Gujarat are stranded in the war-torn county.

"Our Mission in Yemen (Camp Office in Djibouti) is coordinating with local authorities (to ensure safe evacuation of Indians," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here when asked about the action being taken to rescue the Indians.

Nearly 70 seamen from the coastal village of Mandavi in Kutch and from Jodiya and Salaya villages of Jamnagar were stuck for over 15 days now at Khokha port in Yemen where they had gone to deliver cargo in five boats, a sailors group said in Gujarat and appealed to the government to rescue them.

It came days after six Indians, most of them from Gujarat, were killed when their boat came under Saudi-led air strikes in the Arab country.

The deceased were among seven Indian nationals who were initially reported missing when two boats, 'Mustafa' and 'Asmar' carrying a total of 21 Indian nationals came under aerial attack.

The ministry had said that of the remaining 15 Indians, 14 were safe in Hodeidah while one person was still missing.

Yemen has been facing a civil war-like situation with Shiite rebels clashing with pro-government forces. United Nations estimates that more than 4,500 people have been killed in the conflict since March.

PTI