India’s navy on Wednesday came to the rescue of a Liberia-owned and Barbados-flagged vessel that had been hit by missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels near the port city of Aden. Three people were killed and several others were severely wounded in the attack on the vessel ‘True Confidence.’
The crew abandoned ship following the strike, deploying lifeboats, and an alerted Indian warship - INS Kolkata - was directed toward the southwest of Aden. According to a navy statement, 21 of True Confidence’s crew, including one Indian national, were rescued using helicopters and boats. The injured sailors were provided with medical assistance and transported to nearby Djibouti.
A video posted by the Indian Navy on X (formerly Twitter) captured pivotal moments from the rescue mission.
The Houthi rebels have vowed to stop any merchant vessel linked to Israel from passing through the crucial Gulf of Aden and Red Sea shipping lanes. In a prerecorded message, Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree admitted responsibility for the missile attack, stating it had set the vessel ablaze, Al Jazeera reported. The Houthis will only stop the attacks once the siege on Gaza is lifted, the spokesperson reiterated.
In recent weeks, the US and a coalition of allies have struck Houthi targets in Yemen and have formally designated the militia a terrorist group. India has stepped up vigilance in the Arabian Sea against Houthi attacks, deploying around a dozen warships and reconnaissance aircraft in the region. New Delhi is concerned it could lose billions in exports due to disruption to the key shipping route and rising freight costs.
Earlier this week, the INS Kolkata assisted another merchant ship, the Liberia-flagged container carrier MSC Sky II, which caught fire after being hit by a projectile, also near Aden. The Houthis have admitted responsibility for this attack, claiming the vessel had been hit with “a number of suitable naval missiles.” The attack caused a “small fire” that was extinguished and none of the crew members were injured, Swiss company MSC, which owns the vessel, reported.