Indonesia returns 20 green sea turtles to the ocean after Bali smuggling raid

SERANGAN ISLAND, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali released 20 protected green sea turtles back into the ocean Tuesday after they were found and seized on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by wildlife smugglers fleeing a police raid.

Officers conducted final checks on the turtles at a conservation center on Serangan Island, also known as Turtle Island, in southern Bali. They then carefully lifted the turtles using blue cloths and transported them by small truck to the shoreline.

Marine police officers in Bali on Saturday foiled an attempt to smuggle 22 green sea turtles, known by the scientific name Chelonia mydas, in the waters off Serangan Island after receiving a report from residents who suspected sea turtle smuggling activity in the area.

Two of the 22 turtles are still sick and need to be treated before they can also be released, Gusti Agung Purnama Wirahadi from the Bali Water and Air Police said Tuesday.

All of the turtles, which are protected species in Indonesia, were found alive on the boat, but the suspected smugglers had already fled the scene by the time officers arrived.

“We hope that no one will dare to capture, keep, or trade these protected species anymore,” Wirahadi said.

Turtle species in Indonesia have been legally protected under conservation and fisheries laws since 1990. A 2018 Environment Ministry regulation further clarified protections for the six species of sea turtles found in the country’s waters. Additional government regulations also prohibit their trade.

According to a 2022 global study by researchers at Arizona State University, the green sea turtle accounted for 56% of sea turtle killings in the 30-year period to 2020.

Bali was once a major hub for green sea turtle trafficking, driven in part by the historical use of turtle meat in offerings in Balinese Hinduism, the predominant religion on the island of about 4.5 million people.

In June, authorities in Bali foiled an attempt to illegally trade 21 protected green sea turtles during a raid on the island’s Pegametan coast and arrested a 67-year-old man suspected of storing the protected animals before they were distributed for sale.

Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Green sea turtles wait for their release back into the ocean after they were found on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by poachers fleeing a police raid, in Serangan, Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

A police officer and an activist load green sea turtles onto the back of a truck to be released back into the ocean after they were found on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by poachers fleeing a police raid, in Serangan, Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Police officers and activists prepare to release green sea turtles back into the ocean after they were found on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by poachers fleeing a police raid, in Serangan, Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Police officers and activists release green sea turtles back into the ocean after they were found on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by poachers fleeing a police raid, at Serangan Beach on Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Green sea turtles wait for their release back into the ocean after they were found on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by poachers fleeing a police raid, in Serangan, Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Police officers release green sea turtles back into the ocean at the Serangan Beach, after they were found and seized on an empty boat seemingly abandoned by wildlife smugglers fleeing a police raid, Bali island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Tuesday again blamed Saudi Arabia for airstrikes overnight that targeted areas along Yemen's northern border with the kingdom and its western coastline. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to the claim, but the strikes came hours after air raid sirens blared in the Saudi capital and explosions were heard.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Tuesday. Read our full coverage here.

The rebel-run al-Masirah satellite television said Tuesday two airstrikes hit the Houthi-held Red Sea island of Kamaran, while a third hit Qanawis district, 55 kilometers (34 miles) northwest of the port city of Hodeida.

The station also reported airstrikes in the province of Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia.

Al-Masirah blamed Saudi Arabia for the strikes, but didn’t provide further details.

The rebels also said they shot down a Saudi drone over the Houthi stronghold province of Saada, which is in northern Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.

The strikes came hours after Saudi Arabia sounded air raid sirens Monday evening in the capital, Riyadh, and residents heard explosions.

The Houthis also said they fired a ballistic missile toward King Khalid International Airport, which has been hammered by a string of deadly attacks in recent days.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Abdelatty said during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that there was “no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted.”

Abdelatty also urged prioritizing diplomacy and finding a political solution to the conflict between Iran and the U.S. to avert “further escalation and instability” in the region, according to the Egyptian readout of the call.

Qatar’s emir on Tuesday called for closer security coordination among Gulf countries as the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia escalates, following months of Iranian attacks across the region during its war with the U.S. and Israel.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also called for stepped-up efforts to secure maritime routes in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and energy infrastructure, which have been a main target of attacks since the Iran-U.S. war began on Feb. 28.

Speaking to the Shura Council, the Qatari emir also lashed out at Israel, accusing it of committing crimes in Gaza that constitute “genocide,” a charge Israel vehemently denies.

The emir called for holding Israeli officials accountable.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

A displaced Yemeni child sits under a tree as families gather to receive aid at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

A displaced Yemeni woman sits beside mattresses distributed at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Displaced Yemeni children sit in a vehicle as families gather to receive aid at the Al-Fallahine displacement camp in Dar Saad district, Aden, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)