11 Indians evacuated from Yemen by Pakistani naval ship

ISLAMABAD: Eleven Indians along with 172 others have been evacuated by a Pakistani ship from strife-torn Yemen's southeastern city of Mokallah, which is now almost entirely under control of al-Qaeda militants.

The PNS Aslat set off for Pakistan yesterday after successfully evacuating 183 people, including 35 foreigners, from Mokallah, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

The PNS Aslat, dispatched earlier, arrived in Mokallah on Friday. The roads leading to the port had been closed.

"Therefore, through a discreetly planned exercise, the operation was switched to nearby Ash Shihr port and 148 Pakistanis have been safely evacuated, earlier today.

"35 other foreign nationals also requiring emergency evacuation are also on board. These include 8 Chinese, 11 Indians and 4 British citizens. The ship will arrive at Karachi on April 7," the FO said in a statement.

Mokallah, the capital of Yemen's south-eastern Hadramawt province, was now almost entirely under control of militants of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) after they stormed a jail and freed 300 inmates a day earlier.

Meanwhile, a PIA aircraft will go to Sana today while a Navy ship already on way to Yemen will reach Al Hodeida tomorrow to evacuate the remaining 208 Pakistanis still stranded in the country, in what could possibly be the end of a nine-day evacuation operation.