New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 28 (IANS): Two ships have set sail to Yemen to bring back stranded Indians, including a good number of Keralites, from the war-torn Arab country, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday.

Chandy made the announcement after he was informed of the development by External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj informed him of the new developments Friday night.

"I did speak to several people who are there in Yemen and while some of them are yet to get back their passports, the Indian embassy has been told that those who do not get back their passports should be issued an outpass and once they are here, they will be given fresh passports. All of them are safe," said Chandy in a release issued in Thiruvananthapuram.

"The ships are expected to take five days to reach Yemen and by then, all the formalities for the stranded Indians to come out would be done with help coming from Saudi Arabian authorities," he said.

As per the present plan since the airports in Yemen are closed, the Indians there will be taken by ship to Djibouti across the Red Sea and from there, will be airlifted to India.