Aden (Yemen), Aug. 4: An India-flagged cargo vessel sank after coming under attack by an explosives-laden boat in the Red Sea off Yemen’s western coast. All 14 crew members aboard were rescued safely, including 13 Indian sailors and one Yemeni national.
According to Yemen’s government-affiliated National Resistance Forces (NRF), coast guard and naval units carried out a joint rescue operation after the vessel, Faize Noore Oliya, was attacked approximately 13 nautical miles south of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah.
The NRF said all crew members were rescued and taken to safety, where they received medical assistance. No casualties were reported. The statement, however, did not specify the exact date and time of the attack.
The NRF blamed Yemen’s Houthi group for the incident, although the Houthis have not issued any official response.
The latest attack comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea, where commercial shipping has increasingly come under threat. Last month, the Saudi company-owned tanker Encelia caught fire after an attack while sailing in the southern Red Sea. According to Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA), all crew members aboard the vessel were safe, and authorities took necessary measures to secure the ship and protect the marine environment.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) had reported that the attack on Encelia occurred about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia.
On July 23, Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for attacks on the Saudi oil tankers Encelia and Layla, saying they had used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. The group alleged the vessels had violated its recently announced maritime restrictions, which it says were imposed in response to Saudi Arabia’s long-standing blockade of Houthi-controlled areas.
