Indonesian Government Urged To Save Its Citizens In Yemen

Jakarta, March 30 (Antara) - Ahmad Zainuddin, a member of Commission I at the House of Representatives (DPR), has appealed to the Indonesian Government to save the lives of its 23 citizens who were reportedly arrested in Yemen. "I heard from the Indonesian Embassy in Yemen that 23 Indonesians had been arrested by Huthi Shiite rebels in the country. If it is true, the government should ensure and make every effort to have them released immediately," Zainuddin stated here on Monday. He pointed out that the social, political, and security situation in Yemen is very unstable following the military attacks by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries until this day. According to the AFP report, Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi remarked on Sunday that a Saudi-led offensive in Yemen would continue until the Huthi Shiite rebels "surrender" their weapons and withdraw from the areas they have seized. Zainuddin noted that some two thousand Indonesians are still working and studying in Yemen. "Our embassy in Yemen has been carrying out the evacuation process, and we hope that no Indonesian citizens will become victims of the ongoing tensions," he remarked. The legislator expressed hope that the staff members of the embassy in Yemen should be proactive in collecting data regarding Indonesian citizens and evacuating them.