Coast guards rescued the crew of an Indian-flagged commercial ship that sank in the Red Sea on Tuesday after an attack, a local official in the Yemeni city of Mokha said, with New Delhi condemning the “unprovoked” aggression. Yemen’s internationally recognised government blamed the Houthi rebels for the attack, according to the official Saba news agency.
All of the MSV Faize Noore Oliya’s crew members, comprising 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni, were rescued after the vessel came under attack south of the port city of Hodeidah, the official from Mokha said. Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated on X that the vessel was “hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters,” adding, “India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack.”
Last month, the Houthis declared a Red Sea maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, and have since claimed several attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure. Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, following the outbreak of the Middle East war, has increased the strategic importance of Red Sea shipping lanes. The Saudi port of Yanbu has allowed the kingdom to maintain global shipments by bypassing the Strait of Hormuz entirely.
India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping globally, with over 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to Delhi’s shipping ministry. “The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end,” said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, highlighting the growing risks to international maritime trade in the area.
Source: Gulf Today
