The Indian Navy has stated that in response to an oil tanker’s distress call on the evening of January 26, its missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, was sent to the Gulf of Aden. Houthis on January 26 targeted the British oil ship Marlin Luanda, which is home to twenty-two Indians. The Indian Navy is lending support to the fight against fires.
The oil tanker made a distress call on the night of January 26, and the Navy responded by deploying its guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Navy. The Navy stated in a statement, “The NBCD team and firefighting equipment, deployed by INS Visakhapatnam, are augmenting the fire fighting efforts onboard the distressed Merchant Vessel to assist the crew onboard the MV.”
The Navy verified that the ship targeted by the Houthis, who are backed by Iran in Yemen, is carrying a crew of one Bangladeshi and twenty-two Indians. The Marlin Luanda was struck by a missile when it was traveling through the Red Sea, according to Trafigura, the trading business that leased the petroleum tanker. The Houthi group assaulted the destroyer USS Carney while it was traveling through the Gulf of Aden, in addition to the British oil tanker and an American warship.
This episode is also thought to be the largest maritime conflict between Western military and Middle Eastern forces in decades. Since late November, the Houthi group has started attacking oil tankers, claiming that its activities are a result to Israel’s military efforts in Palestine. The UK government declared following the incident that it and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately.”
“We are aware of allegations that the tanker M/V Marlin Luanda, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, was attacked and suffered damage in the Gulf of Aden. According to recent reports, there appear to be no injuries and coalition boats are in the vicinity. A UK government official stated, “We have made it very clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are wholly unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately.”
An oil ship was identified as “British” during an operation by the Houthi naval forces, according to a military spokesperson for the Houthis. But they haven’t officially recognized the USS Carney attack.
Ratnavali