Houthis Release Pakistani Crew After LPG Carrier Attack
An LPG carrier was hit during an Israeli strike on Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen earlier this month, Pakistani interior minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed this weekend.
On Saturday, Naqvi said that an Israeli drone struck the vessel on September 17, while it was at berth at Ras Isa. One of the ship's LPG tanks exploded in the attack.
Following the blast, Houthi boat crews responded to the scene and boarded the ship - then took the crew hostage, he said.
Pakistani station Ary News relayed another version of the story: the crew had abandoned ship but were forced by Houthi militants to reboard the vessel while it was still burning. The equipment aboard were unsuitable for firefighting, crewmembers told the outlet, and they said that they were running short of food and water.
The crew consisted of 24 Pakistanis, including the captain, along with two Sri Lankans and one Nepali national.
After intervention from the Pakistani ambassador to Oman, the government of Saudi Arabia, and members of Pakistan's security agencies, the crew was released, and all of the seafarers are now out of Houthi territory. Officials "worked day and night under extraordinary conditions to secure the safe release of our citizens when hope was fading," Naqvi said.
???? Unconfirmed reports: LPG vessel near Ras Isa, Yemen allegedly hit by a drone on Sept 17. Crew onboard faces life-threatening gas leak, low food & water, anchored in dangerous zone. Urgent maritime security concern. ?????????? #maritimesecurity #maritimesafety #RedSea pic.twitter.com/rOtZFJdrB4
— MarScope (@MarScopeAdvisor) September 26, 2025
The vessel was not named, but the Pakistani press identified the ship as the Clipper (above), a 1995-built LPG carrier formerly named Eagle Pride. According to her Equasis record, Clipper fraudulently claims to fly the flag of Guyana, making it a stateless vessel. The ship was reported sold to an undisclosed interest in 2023, and the current owner and operator are unknown; OFAC listings show that it is subject to U.S. counterterrorism sanctions.
AIS data provided by Pole Star Global confirms that Clipper's most recent voyage departed Djibouti on September 4, arriving Ras Isa on the 6th. As of Sunday the vessel was under way once more, bound for Djibouti.
The date of the claimed drone attack was the day after a large-scale Israeli raid on Hodeidah, the main Houthi-controlled seaport. That raid appears to have partially sunk one vessel and may have disabled another; it also destroyed most of the remaining wharfage in the port.
Reports from the Houthi-controlled channel Al Masirah TV said that 12 Israeli strikes targeted the docks in the port. Three berths were damaged; Israeli media reported that the attack was designed to keep the facilities out of service for several weeks. Berths 4, 6 and 8 were the only remaining quays in active use early in September, and had been repaired to serviceability after earlier strikes; these piers were hit hard again in the September 16 attack.
Top image: Clipper under a previous name and livery, 2008 (Alf / VesselFinder)