Indian Navy in Gulf of Aden: Here's how the service has responded to Houthi attacks, piracy threats in the Red Sea

The Indian Navy, on Wednesday, responded to the aftermath of yet another lethal maritime incident in the Gulf of Aden. The service’s stealth guided-missile destroyer, INS Kolkata, rescued the crew of Barbados-flagged MV True Confidence, including one Indian national, from what could have been a harrowing fate.

The marine vessel True Confidence, a bulk carrier, had reported a fire onboard after it was hit by a drone or missile. According to a report by AFP, the attack had led to the death of three members on board.

The crew had also sustained critical injuries and were forced to abandon the ship. The merchant vessel was approximately 54 nautical miles (nm) southwest of Aden.

INS Kolkata, which is deployed in the region for Maritime Security Operations, arrived at the location around 4:45 pm and managed to rescue 21 members, including one Indian national. The Indian Navy provided immediate medical aid to the crew. They were then evacuated to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

The rescue operation involved the use of an integral helicopter and boats.

The spokesperson of the Indian Navy shared a dramatic video of the ordeal on social media.

Indian Presence In Gulf Of Aden

Ships operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea have seen multiple attacks by the Yemen-based Houthi terrorists since November last year. The Houthis’ campaign is intended to signal solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

India’s response to this development in the economically and strategically valuable region has been swift. Ajay Bhatt, the Minister of State for Defence, had told the Lok Sabha last month that in light of the maritime security situation in the region, Indian Navy units are being deployed off the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti, in the North and Central Arabian Sea, and off East Coast of Somalia.

Here’s a look at recent rescue operations that the Navy has carried out in the past couple of months.

Rescuing Drone-hit Vessels

On March 4, the Liberian-flagged MV MSC Sky II, positioned roughly 90 Nm southeast of Aden was reported on fire due to a drone/missile attack.

INS Kolkata responded to the incident, with a specialised firefighting team of 12 personnel assisting in the firefighting efforts. Specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team also embarked on the vessel and provided assistance in residual risk assessment, the Navy spokesperson highlighted.

One of the Indian Navy’s destroyers provided critical EOD and medical assistance to the Palau-flagged MV Islander on February 22. The vessel had likely been attacked by a drone/missile and had caught fire. Indian Naval EOD specialists embarked on the MV, sanitised it for residual risk and cleared it for onward transit.

The service also provided medical assistance provided to injured crew members.

The Indian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, came to the assistance of British oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda after the ship was attacked by Houthis on the night of Jan 26. The distressed merchant vessel had 22 Indian and 1 Bangladeshi crew onboard.

Dealing With Piracy Pinches

Apart from responding to the aftermath of drone strikes and missile hits, the Indian Navy has also dealt with piracy situations.

In January, INS Sumitra responded to a distress message regarding the hijacking of an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel (FV) Iman. Pirates had boarded the vessel and taken the crew hostage.

The Indian warship, which has been deployed on anti-piracy operations on the East Coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, intercepted the vessel and coerced the pirates to safely release crew along with the boat.

The Indian Navy has reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of merchant shipping and seafarers.