Former Indian Soldier Released After Five-Month Captivity by Houthis in Yemen
A former Indian Army soldier, Anilkumar Raveendran from Kayamkulam, has been freed from Houthi captivity in Yemen following five months of detention. The 52-year-old was taken into custody on July 7 while working as a security officer on the Liberian-flagged cargo ship MV Eternity, which was attacked and subsequently sunk in the Red Sea amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Anilkumar reported that while he was not subjected to physical harm, he was confined to a small room in Sanaa for the entirety of his captivity, which he described as a period of intense mental distress. He returned to India on Thursday, concluding an anxious period for his family.
The assault on MV Eternity happened as the vessel was en route to the Israeli port of Eilat. Four crew members lost their lives in the attack, and six others, including an Indian named Augustin from Parassala, were rescued shortly afterward by the EU Naval Force. However, Anilkumar, along with ten other crew members comprising nine Filipinos and one Greek national, remained in Houthi detention until their recent release.
Anilkumar had joined the merchant shipping industry five years ago through Ocean Group Overseas Consultancy following a 19-year service in the Indian Army. He has now been reunited with his wife Sreeja and their two children: son Anuj, who is studying BSc Emergency Medicine, and daughter Anugha, a Plus-I student.
His safe return marks the end of a difficult period for his family and underscores the growing dangers faced by seafarers operating in conflict-affected areas of the Red Sea.
