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Houthis free crew of seized Emirati ship, says report

Seven of the crew are Indian and the others come from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines

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The Houthi movement that controls most of northern Yemen has announced the release of the crew of an Emirati vessel called Rwabee, Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported citing the group’s spokesman on Monday.

Yemen’s Houthis say the Emirati cargo vessel that they seized in the Red Sea in January had been carrying military hardware, but the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-aligned Houthi, says the ship had been carrying medical equipment.

According to a previous letter from the UAE to the United Nations Security Council president, the ship has 11 crew on board from five countries.

Seven of the crew are Indian and the others come from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines, the UAE’s permanent representative had said in the letter.

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In the letter dated January 9, UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh described the Rwabee as a “civilian cargo vessel” that was leased by a Saudi company and was carrying equipment used at a field hospital. It was travelling on an international route, she added.

“This act of piracy is contrary to fundamental provisions of international law,” said the letter.

• MENA