Indian Navy Rescues 22 Crew From U.S-owned Vessel Attacked By Houthis

The Indian Navy states that one of its guided-missile destroyers on Thursday rescued the crew of a U.S.-owned vessel, which was attacked by Yemeni Houthi rebels close to the Red Sea. The military branch mentioned in a post on X that the INS Visakhapatnam, which was in the region for anti-piracy missions, responded to a distress call via the M/V Genco Picardy after an attack launched in the Gulf of Aden.

The 22 crew members who were on the ship, including nine members from India, were reported to be safe by the Navy. It added that a fire on the M/V Genco Picardy was still under control, and an examination of the ship determined that it was safe and secure to continue sailing to the next port of call.

The U.S. Central Command said that on Wednesday, a one-way attack drone was launched from the Houthi-controlled zones in Yemen and struck the M/V Genco Picardy that it described as a Marshall-Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated bulk carrier vessel. The attack was the 34th on commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since 19 November and the second time the Houthis have hit a US-owned and operated vessel over a two-day phase this week.

The Houthis said that its weaponry launched a “direct hit” on the ship, per Reuters. The incident took place on the same day that the U.S. State Department relisted Iran-backed Houthis as a powerful terrorist organization.

Since November, the Houthis have been launching unforeseen attacks against international maritime vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, as well as military forces placed in the zone to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The attacks against international shipping have endangered the mariners, disrupted the free flow of commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms.

Blinken added that the designation of the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group desires to promote accountability for the group’s terrorist activities, and if the Houthis cease attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. will be reevaluating the designation.

Reference: FoxNews

Indian Navy Rescues 22 Crew From U.S-owned Vessel Attacked By Houthis appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News