Indian Navy saved a Liberian-flagged vessel carrying 23 crew members after it got here below assault within the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The vessel, transiting roughly 90 nautical miles southeast of Aden, was reported on hearth as a result of a “drone/missile attack” on the night of March 4, the Navy mentioned.

INS Kolkata, a vessel mission deployed within the area for maritime safety operations, promptly arrived on the scene of the incident by 22:30pm.

A specialised firefighting group consisting of 12 personnel from INS Kolkata launched into the vessel within the early morning hours of March 5 to help in firefighting operations.

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A specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) group additionally boarded the vessel to offer help in assessing residual dangers.

The vessel, which had a crew of 23 personnel together with 13 Indians, was escorted to protected waters by the Indian Navy.

“Relentless efforts by mission deployed platforms symbolises #IndianNavy’s resolve in ensuring safety and security of merchant shipping and seafarers plying in the region,” the spokesperson of the Indian Navy mentioned in a publish on X.

The assertion comes a day after Houthi militants claimed the assault on the Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container vessel within the Gulf of Aden.

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A navy spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthis mentioned that they focused the vessel with “a number of suitable naval missiles”.

The Houthis have been attacking merchant and military ships in and across the southern Red Sea since mid-November, ostensibly in assist of Hamas because it wages conflict in opposition to Israel in Gaza. The group has mentioned it received’t again down from hitting vessels till Israel stops combating.

“Initial reports indicate there were no injuries,” US Central Command mentioned on X. “The ship did not request assistance and continued on its way.”

The delivery assaults have precipitated hundreds of miles price of diversions for service provider vessels — forcing them to sail round southern Africa as an alternative of via the Red Sea and Suez Canal — and despatched freight charges hovering.