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Ship sinks off Yemen
India condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, that sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen after being struck by a projectile on August 4.
“MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank off the Yemeni coast on Tuesday”
The Ministry of External Affairs said the mechanised sailing vessel sank off the Yemeni coast on Tuesday, and it said all 13 Indian nationals on board were rescued while another foreign crew member was also brought safely ashore by the Yemeni Coast Guard.
Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the incident as an "unprovoked attack" on a defenceless civilian vessel, saying the vessel was hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters, causing it to capsize and sink.
Shafaq News said the vessel went down near the western Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, and it said the attack happened about 13 nautical miles south of Hodeidah before it sank.
Rescue, blame, and quotes
India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday that a projectile struck the Indian-flagged vessel near Yemen, causing it to capsize and sink, but he said all 14 seafarers on board were rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and taken to the Port of Mokha.
The Yemeni government blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, according to the state-run Saba news agency cited by Kurdistan24, and it said coast guards rescued the crew after the vessel was attacked south of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida.
Sonowal said, "India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack," and he added that "The safety of our people is our supreme priority" as he described the rescue and evacuation to Mokha.
The Ministry of External Affairs said, "The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome," and it called for the targeting of commercial shipping to end and for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce to be restored.
What comes next for shipping
India said it was coordinating with Yemeni authorities to ensure the safety and security of the rescued crew, and it said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh was closely monitoring the situation.
“The targeting of commercial shipping must end”
The Ministry of External Affairs also voiced concern over continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying the "targeting of commercial shipping must end" and that "free and unimpeded navigation and commerce" must be restored at the earliest.
TradeArabia said the incident was the latest in a series of attacks that have disrupted shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital route linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal, and it said the waterway carries roughly 12% of global seaborne trade.
Kurdistan24 added that the latest attack underscores growing concerns over maritime security in the region, and it said the Houthis last month announced a maritime blockade in the Red Sea targeting Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter.
