A retired Indian Army officer from Kayamkulam, held captive by Houthi rebels in war-torn Yemen, has been released after five months. Anilkumar Raveendran, 52, of Sreejalayam in Pathiyoor, Kayamkulam, was taken by security forces under the Houthi-controlled Yemeni government on July 7.

Anilkumar was serving as a security officer on the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MV Eternity C. The ship was attacked and later sunk in the Red Sea. The attack took place while the vessel was en route to the Israeli port of Eilat amid escalating tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Upon his arrival back from Yemen on Thursday, Anilkumar shared that although he was not physically tortured, the confinement in a small room in Saana for five months constituted severe mental torture. Alongside him, ten other crew members—comprising nine Filipinos and one Greek national—were also released.

The incident began when Houthi militants intensified their strikes on international shipping, seizing and ultimately destroying the cargo vessel. The ship carried a diverse crew including members from India, the Philippines, Russia, and Greece.

Tragically, four crew members lost their lives during the assault. Six others, including a crewman named Augustin from Parassala, Thiruvananthapuram, were rescued by the European Union Naval Force and repatriated within a week of the attack. However, Anilkumar and 10 others remained in captivity until their recent release.

Anilkumar joined the shipping company five years ago through Ocean Group Overseas Consultancy, based in Palakkad. Before his maritime career, he served as a soldier in the Indian Army for 19 years, after which he retired.

He is married to Sreeja and is a father to two children: his son Anuj, who is studying BSc Emergency Medicine, and his daughter Anugha, who is a Plus-I student. His safe return marks the end of a harrowing ordeal and a reunion with his family after months of uncertainty.

Agencies