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‘Deeply worrisome’: India condemns attack on ship in Red Sea, Yemen blames Houthis for ‘terrorist attack’
Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the cargo vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, capsized and sank after being hit by a “projectile” near Yemeni waters.
India has condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged merchant vessel carrying 13 Indian nationals that sank in the Red Sea after being attacked off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) called the repeated attacks on commercial vessels in West Asia “deeply worrisome”, and said that all the Indian crew members have been rescued.
Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that cargo vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, capsized and sank after being hit by a “projectile” near Yemeni waters.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government also condemned what it called a “Houthi terrorist attack”, saying the Indian-flagged ship was targeted by “an explosives-laden boat” off the country's western coast.
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‘Deeply worrisome’: India on repeated attacks on commercial ships
The vessel, which had a 14-member crew comprising 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni citizen, was rescued in a joint operation by the Yemeni navy and coast guard. The crew members were later taken to the port of Mokha in Yemen.
Expressing concern over the attack, the ministry of external affairs said the repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the region are “deeply worrisome”.
It also called for an immediate end to such attacks and reiterated its support for “free and unimpeded navigation and commerce” through international waterways in West Asia.
“The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” the statement read.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on vessels operating in the Red Sea, a route reportedly used by some tankers after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in February.
A total of 10 Indian seafarers are among the 16 Indians who have died so far in the West Asia conflict, the MEA informed Parliament. It also said that another 5 Indian seafarers were killed in recent attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea involving Russia and Ukraine.
Yemen condemns ‘Houthi terrorist attack’ targeting Indian vessel
In a statement issued on Wednesday, a day after the incident, Yemen's ministry of foreign affairs, as part of the internationally recognised government, condemned what it described as a “Houthi terrorist attack” on the Indian-flagged merchant vessel.
The ministry described the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law” and said it posed a “direct threat” to maritime safety, security and the freedom of trade along international waterways.
Yemen said the attack was part of an ongoing pattern of “crimes and assaults perpetrated by the Houthi terrorist militia”.
“The Ministry reaffirms the solidarity of the Republic of Yemen with the friendly Republic of India and its continued coordination with the relevant Indian authorities, while extending all necessary support and facilitation to the vessel’s crew members,” it added.
India’s MEA has thanked the Yemeni authorities for their assistance in rescuing the Indian nationals.
