An oil tanker with 25 Indian nationals on board was struck by a drone launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, according to the Indian Navy's statement on Saturday.
The oil tanker, MV Saibaba, which is owned by Gabon and not flagged as Indian, reportedly faced the attack. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the US Central Command (CENTCOM) received distress calls following the drone attack at 8 pm (Yemen time) on Friday. The US warship Laboon responded promptly to the situation.
Initially, CENTCOM referred to MV Saibaba as an "Indian-flagged crude oil tanker," but the Indian Navy has contradicted this information.
Another ship, MV Blaamanen, a Norwegian-flagged chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss with a Houthi one-way attack drone, with no injuries or damage reported.
The US military intercepted four drones heading toward a US destroyer in the southern Red Sea, launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. This incident marks the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17, as per CENTCOM.
Additionally, two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea. Luckily, no ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.
This development occurred shortly after a drone struck an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel off the Gujarat coast, allegedly fired from Iran. The vessel, with around 20 Indian crew members, was transporting crude oil from Al Jubail port in Saudi Arabia to New Mangalore port in Karnataka.
Houthi rebels, backed by Iran and controlling much of Yemen, have disrupted world trade with attacks on ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. They justify their actions as a response to Israel's conflict in Gaza.
In response to escalating incidents, the US initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian, involving more than a dozen countries in joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen.
