New Delhi: On Saturday, the Indian Navy reported that a drone fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck an oil tanker named MV Saibaba in the Red Sea, carrying 25 Indians on board. Contrary to earlier reports, Navy officials clarified that the tanker is Gabon-owned and not an Indian-flagged vessel.
No injuries were reported following the drone attack, with the US Central Command (CENTCOM) receiving reports at 8 pm (Yemen time) on Friday. In response to the distress call, the US warship Laboon, as per CENTCOM, reacted to the drone attack. The Indian Navy contradicted earlier claims by CENTCOM, asserting that MV Saibaba was not an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker.
Another ship, MV Blaamanen, a Norwegian-flagged chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss with a Houthi one-way attack drone, resulting in no injuries or damage, according to CENTCOM.
The US military intercepted four drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward a US destroyer in the southern Red Sea. CENTCOM noted, "These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17."
Houthi rebels also fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea, with no reported impact on ships. This incident follows closely after a drone, allegedly fired from Iran, hit an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel off the Gujarat coast. The vessel, carrying around 20 Indian crew and crude oil from Saudi Arabia to Karnataka, was targeted.
The Iran-backed Houthis, controlling much of Yemen, have disrupted world trade with repeated attacks on ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. They attribute these actions to Israel's war in Gaza. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an uncrewed aerial system exploding near a vessel in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, 45 nautical miles southwest of Saleef, Yemen.
In response, the US initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian, involving joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen, with participation from over a dozen countries.
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