New Delhi: India has accepted Pakistan’s offer to fly back 11 of its nationals rescued by a Pakistani naval ship from war-torn Yemen.

News that India had accepted the offer extended by Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif earlier in the day on Tuesday was tweeted by Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin on the foreign ministry’s official website.

Adversity seems to have prompted rivals India and Pakistan to work together with their usually hostile navies rescuing nationals of the other country.

Sharif had offered a special aircraft to send home 11 Indians plucked from war ravaged Yemen by a Pakistani naval ship.

“Pakistani Navy ship Aslat carrying 11 Indian nationals along with Pakistanis arrives in Karachi from Yemen," said a post on the Pakistani high commission’s Twitter account. This was soon followed by this tweet from the Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul Basit : “PM Nawaz Sharif offers Indian High Commission Islamabad a special aircraft to take 11 Indians (evacuated from Yemen) from Pakistan to India."

Earlier India had rescued at least three Pakistani nationals from Yemen. On Sunday, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted : “Humanitarian gesture - Indian Navy evacuated 3 Pak nationals from Hodeida by INS Sumitra. Pakistan brought 11 Indians from Makala."

Fighting has erupted in Yemen in recent weeks with the mainly Shia Houthi rebels ranged against a Sunni coalition headed by regional Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, alarmed by the growing strength of the Iran-allied Houthis on its southern doorstep, launched air strikes in a coalition made up mainly of four Gulf Arab allies against the Houthis nearly two weeks ago.

he Houthi fighters and the pro-Saleh army units took over Sanaa in September and last month launched an advance on the southern city of Aden, stronghold of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. He has now fled the country and is based in Saudi Arabia.

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