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13 Indians rescued as merchant vessel sinks after attack off Yemen coast
Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on social media that the cargo vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank after being hit by “a projectile” near Yemeni waters.
Thirteen Indian seafarers were rescued from an Indian-flagged vessel that sank after an attack off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemning the incident and reiterating its call for an end to the targeting of commercial shipping.
Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on social media that the cargo vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank after being hit by “a projectile” near Yemeni waters. However, Yemen's government-aligned National Resistance Forces said the vessel was attacked by “an explosives-laden boat” off the country’s western coast.
“We condemn the attack on the Indian-flagged commercial vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, that sank in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen on August 4, 2026,” the MEA said in a statement. Sonowal too said India “strongly condemns this unprovoked attack on the defenseless mechanised sailing vessel”.
The vessel's 14-member crew, including 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni citizen, were rescued in a joint operation by the Yemeni Navy and Coast Guard and taken to the port of Mokha.
The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia is monitoring the situation and coordinating with Yemeni authorities for the safety and security of the crew, the statement said. The Indian side thanked Yemeni authorities for their support.
The statement described continuing attacks on commercial shipping in West Asia as “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”.
Sonowal said he had instructed the Director General Maritime Administration to “take immediate steps in coordination with all agencies to ensure the absolute security of Indian seafarers in the region”.
Ten Indian seafarers are among the 16 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict. Another five Indian seafarers have died in recent attacks on merchant vessels by Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea.
Yemen's government-aligned National Resistance Forces said the Faize Noore Oliya was attacked while sailing 13 nautical miles south of Al Hudaydah in the Red Sea. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack occurred against the backdrop of renewed threats to merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait since last month. On July 20, Houthi rebels aligned with Iran announced a “naval blockade” of Saudi Arabia, including in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
Al Hudaydah, controlled by the Houthis, lies on the eastern coast of the Red Sea near crucial shipping lanes.
