Who Is Rakki Kishan Gopal Evacuated By India From Socotra Island, On Special Yemen Flight?

New Delhi: An Indian national who had been stranded on Socotra Island in Yemen for the past few weeks has been successfully evacuated and returned to India, according to India's mission in Yemen.

"Indian national Ms. Rakki Kishan Gopal, who was stranded on Socotra Island in Yemen for the past few weeks, was successfully evacuated on a special Yemenia flight to Jeddah on Jan 7. She was received by officials of the @CGIJeddah & subsequently returned to India this morning," the Indian mission in Yemen said in a post on X.

The evacuation comes amid heightened political and military tensions in Yemen, which have disrupted air travel and stranded civilians and foreign nationals in several parts of the country.

Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia have recently completed the transfer of control over all military sites in the eastern governorates of Hadramout and al-Mahra after reclaiming them from the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), Yemeni media reported, according to Al Jazeera.

The developments have coincided with diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, as a delegation led by STC chief Aidarous al-Zubaidi is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to attend a peace forum. The move is being seen as a potential step toward reducing a conflict that has devastated Yemen and strained relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Al Jazeera reported.

On the ground, STC forces have withdrawn over the past two days from Mukalla, the strategic port city and capital of Hadramout, following limited Saudi-led coalition air strikes last week that targeted cargo and weapons facilities.

Local sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that civilian life has gradually begun returning to normal, with shops reopening and traffic resuming in parts of the city.

Tensions had escalated sharply in early December when STC fighters seized control of Hadramout and al-Mahra, provinces that together account for nearly half of Yemen's landmass and share a border with Saudi Arabia.

The clashes marked a significant escalation in the power struggle between the separatists and the internationally recognised government.

Commenting on the fighting, Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), said Saudi-backed Homeland Shield forces had achieved "record success" by reclaiming "all military and security positions" from the STC.

By Friday, the Yemeni government said it had requested Saudi Arabia to host talks with the separatists, a proposal that the STC welcomed, though no timeline or framework has been announced.

An STC official said at least 80 of its fighters were killed, 152 wounded and 130 captured during the clashes.

Fighting intensified after the STC accused Saudi Arabia of bombing its positions near the border, killing seven people and wounding 20, Al Jazeera reported.

As hostilities continued, the STC announced the launch of a two-year transitional phase aimed at declaring an independent southern state, warning that independence would be declared "immediately" if dialogue failed or if southern Yemen came under renewed attack.

The Yemeni government defended its actions, with Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi saying efforts to retake military bases were "not a declaration of war" but intended to "peacefully and systematically" restore state control.

The government also accused the STC of blocking civilian movement into Aden, calling the restrictions "a grave violation of the constitution and a breach of the Riyadh Agreement," which was intended to resolve differences between the two sides.

Against this backdrop of escalating violence, civilian movement has been severely affected, including on Yemen's Socotra island.

About 400 tourists have been stranded on the island after flights were suspended amid clashes on the mainland between Saudi Arabia-backed government forces and UAE-linked secessionists, Al Jazeera reported.

Air traffic to and from Yemen has been largely restricted over the past few days as heavy fighting erupted between rival armed groups operating under the country's fractured government, which is headquartered in the southern port city of Aden.

Socotra, located around 380 km south of the mainland, is under the control of the UAE-backed STC, which has been involved in clashes with the Saudi-backed government in Hadramout and al-Mahra.

Confirming the situation, Yahya bin Afrar, deputy governor for culture and tourism on Socotra, said that "more than 400 foreign tourists" were unable to leave the island after their flights were "suspended".

According to Al Jazeera, the flight disruptions are linked to the broader escalation of violence on the mainland, which has affected civilian movement and air operations as security conditions remain volatile. 

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