Indian-Flagged Vessels Attacked By Houthis In The Red Sea

The MV Saibaba, an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, has reportedly been hit by a drone in the Red Sea by the Houthis. This is the fifteenth strike on merchant ships since October 17.

The US military confirmed the incident and reported that there were no casualties and that the strike was unsuccessful. In another incident, a Houthi drone nearly missed a different Norwegian-flagged vessel named M/V Blaamanen. Both incidents took place in the Southern Red Sea.

The Houthi rebels are supporting Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict with a series of attacks. The Pentagon said that a drone “fired from Iran” had attacked a chemical tanker owned by Japan off the coast of India the day before. Tehran denied these allegations. Global trade has been rerouted due to these attacks, affecting the vital Red Sea maritime path.

In a different instance, a suspected drone attacked a cargo ship headed for India that had 22 crew members, the majority of them Indian, in the Arabian Sea 200 nautical miles off the coast of Gujarat. No one has taken ownership of these assaults.

The US Central Command ascribed the attack on the MV Sai Baba on Sunday to the Houthis, while a drone fired from Iran was reported to be responsible for the attack on M V Chem Pluto the day before.

A P8I maritime patrol aircraft and the destroyer INS Mormugao were sent to help the Indian Navy as it began an inquiry into the attack on M V Chem Pluto. Experts in Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal will conduct more research when the ship docks in Mumbai.

The Indian Navy is still dedicated to ensuring that regional maritime shipping is safe. In reaction to the assaults, Mumbai police have stepped up security and coastline patrols.

Reference: Indian Express

Indian-Flagged Vessels Attacked By Houthis In The Red Sea appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News