With twenty-two Indians onboard, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on January 26 launched a missile attack on the British oil tanker, the Marlin Luanda. Responding to a distress call on January 26, the Indian Navy's guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, was reportedly deployed in the Gulf of Aden.
According to the official statement issued by the Indian Navy, “The fire fighting efforts onboard the distressed Merchant Vessel is being augmented by the NBCD team along with firefighting equipment, deployed by INS Visakhapatnam to assist the crew onboard the MV."
The Indian Navy today confirmed that 22 Indians and 1 Bangladesh crew are onboard the ship.
The Houthi rebels have been carrying out attacks on oil tankers since last November, and it said that it was doing so because of Israel's military actions in Palestine.
About the attack
As per media reports, the British oil tanker was operated on behalf of the trading firm Trafigura. The owner company also confirmed that a missile struck the Marlin Luanda as it transited the Red Sea. Along with the British oil tanker, a US warship, the destroyer USS Carney, was also attacked by the Houthi group.
However, this wasn't the Houthi Rebels' first attempt to destroy an oil tanker that had Indians aboard. Before this, on December 24, 2023, an oil tanker carrying 25 Indians was hit by a drone fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red sea.
The UK government's response
After the attack in the Gulf of Aden, the UK government said that Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately”.
“We are aware of reports that the M/V Marlin Luanda, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, has sustained damage from attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports suggest no casualties and nearby coalition vessels are on the scene. We have been clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately," a UK government official said.
A Houthi military spokesperson had mentioned that their naval forces conducted an operation on the oil tanker, identifying the vessel as 'British'. However, they have not yet acknowledged the attack on the USS Carney.
