Kalyan sailor released from vessel seized by Houthis is back home

KALYAN: Kalyan-based Mohammed Munawar Sameer(22) who was detained along with 11 foreign nationals, including seven Indians, by the Houthi militia group in Yemen nearly four months ago, safely returned home on Thursday.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels had on January 2, 2022, seized the UAE-flagged vessel Rwabee off the port of Hodeidah, Yemen.
Mohammed’s family thanked the government for its efforts to bring the sailors back safely in the holy month of Ramzan.
The youth resides with his mother and sister in the Govindwadi area of Kalyan (West). He worked for a shipping company in Dubai when he was kidnapped and taken hostage.
The seven kidnapped Indians who returned on Thursday are from Kalyan, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala and Haryana.
The Kalyan youth's family was in constant touch with the ministry of external affairs. Mohammed told
TOI:“I am really thankful to the Modi government because they finally brought me safely home. ”
He and his sister Aliza both support their mother. Their father had died when they were young.
On April 26, Omani foreign minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed the release of 11 foreign nationals, including seven Indians detained by the Houthi militia group.
External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar thanked his Omani counterpart for their assistance in the safe release of Indian sailors.
“Thank you my friend Badr Albusaidi for your help and assistance. Look forward to their safe homecoming,” Jaishankar said.
The Indian government had intensified its efforts for the release of the Indian crew members since the seizure of the ship from the Red Sea in January. According to the press release from the ministry of external affairs, the government had time and again raked up the issue for safe passage of Indian sailors onboard the ship with various parties concerned.