The Indian government on Wednesday asked all its nationals to leave Yemen immediately given the “fragile” security situation in the conflict-hit country.

“We are urging and advising our nationals to leave the country immediately through available commercial means,” a spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.

While noting that it was the third such advisory by the government, he hoped that the Indians, most of whom are nurses in Yemen, will understand the “seriousness” of the situation and will return.

He added that the government was working with the nurses for their return while putting number of Indians in Yemen at 3,000-3,500 who are living in various provinces including Sanaa.

Yemen is witnessing attacks by Shiite militiamen on the President and other state figures who are Sunnis. The rising unrest has fuelled long-time divisions in Yemen, where the government, Huthis, southern separatists, powerful Sunni tribes and the local al-Qaeda branch are all vying for influence.