An Indian-flagged cargo ship sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday after it was attacked. All 14 crew members – 13 Indians and one Yemeni national – were rescued by Yemeni forces.
The MSV Faize Noore Oliya was reportedly struck by a projectile south of the port city of Hodeidah, which is under the control of the Houthi rebels.
The Iran-backed militia said last month it will block all Saudi-linked vessels from entering or leaving the Red Sea, but it has not commented on the sinking. According to reports, the Indian-flagged tanker was carrying oil from Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Transportation Ministry has accused the Houthis of carrying out the attack using an explosive-laden boat. Some media reports have suggested that a naval drone struck the mechanized sailing vessel.
Ship-tracking website Marine Traffic showed its destination as Oman before the attack.
So far, 10 Indian seafarers have died in attacks on commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz since US-Israeli strikes on Iran set off a regional conflagration. At least five have died in the Baltic Sea region in similar attacks amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Some 312,000 Indians work on ships around the world, exposing Indian nationals disproportionately to attacks on commercial shipping.
Indian authorities have issued two advisories to Indian seafarers in the Middle East and the Baltic Sea, advising caution before entering the conflict areas and asking them to reach out to Indian authorities in case of trouble.
Following the sinking of the MSV Faize Noore Oliya, India’s Foreign Ministry condemned the continued attacks on commercial ships, calling them “deeply worrisome.”
“The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
The crew was rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and naval units and taken to the port of Mokha, India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal posted on X.
“Our Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Yemeni authorities for the safety and security of the crew,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said.