Houthi attack: Navy sent INS Visakhapatnam to the Gulf of Aden, know what is the reason?

The Indian Navy on Saturday said it has deployed its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam to the Gulf of Aden in response to the distress call from MV Marlin Luanda on the night of January 26. British oil tanker Marlin Luanda has 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew members on board. Fire fighting efforts on the distressed merchant vessel are being augmented by the NBCD team along with fire fighting equipment deployed by INS Visakhapatnam to assist the crew on the MV.

The Indian Navy wrote on the X that there are 22 Indian and 01 Bangladeshi crew on board the MV. It said that the Indian Navy is determined and committed to ensuring the safety of merchant vessels and the safety of life at sea. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack. According to The Guardian, he claimed that his naval forces had conducted an operation targeting the “British oil tanker Marlin Luanda” in the Gulf of Aden. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sariya said in a statement that the group used “proper naval missiles” and that the attack was direct. The United States has also confirmed the Houthi attack on the MV Marlin in Luanda.

On 26 January at approximately 7:45 (Sanaa time), Iran-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and attacked the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda. The ship issued a distress call and reported damage. USS Carney (DDG 64) and other coalition ships responded and are providing assistance. At present there is no information about anyone being injured.