New Delhi, 22 October (H.S.): Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed that Saudi forces targeted a yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, close to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and said its forces were engaged in rescuing those aboard. The claim has not been independently verified, and there was no immediate response from Indian authorities.

Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, made the claim in a statement posted on X on Thursday, citing what he described as preliminary information. He said the group was carrying out rescue operations and would release further details later. The statement did not report any casualties or provide details about the vessel or the circumstances of the alleged strike.

Saree condemned the alleged attack, claiming it posed a threat to international navigation in the Red Sea. However, no independent confirmation of the incident or the identities and condition of those aboard was immediately available.

The claim comes amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with reports of intensified Saudi-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi infrastructure. Houthi-affiliated media also reported air strikes in the al-Sarari area of Taiz Governorate in southwestern Yemen on Thursday.

Separately, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said on Thursday that one Indian national was killed and two others were injured in an attack at Dammam Airport in eastern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities also reported the death of a Saudi national in the incident. The identity of those responsible for the airport attack has not been established publicly.

India has condemned attacks on its nationals and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. However, no official Indian response to the reported incident involving the yacht was available at the time of filing this report.

The developments come amid continuing security concerns across West Asia, including reports of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar