Indian Navy Dispatches INS Visakhapatnam To Aid MV Marlin Luanda After Houthi Missile Attack

The Indian Navy said on Saturday that, in response to the MV Marlin Luanda’s distress call on the evening of January 26, it had sent its guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, into the Gulf of Aden.

There is one Bangladeshi and twenty-two Indian crew members on board the British oil tanker Marlin Luanda.

“The fire-fighting efforts onboard the distressed Merchant Vessel are being augmented by the NBCD team along with firefighting equipment, deployed by INS Visakhapatnam to assist the crew onboard the MV. The MV has 22 #Indian & 01 Bangladeshi crew onboard,” the Indian Navy wrote on X, previously Twitter.

It further stated that the Indian Navy is unwavering in its commitment to protecting merchant vessels and guaranteeing maritime safety.

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The Houthi rebels in Yemen have taken credit for the attack. They said that their naval forces conducted an operation in the Gulf of Aden aimed at what they called the “British oil tanker Marlin Luanda,” according to The Guardian.

In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed that the “strike was direct” and that the group had employed “appropriate naval missiles.”
The attack on the MV Marlin Luanda by the Houthis has also been verified by the US.

“On January 26, at approximately 7:45 pm (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X. “The ship issued a distress call and reported damage. USS Carney (DDG 64) and other coalition ships have responded and are rendering assistance. No injuries have been reported at this time.”

The event is the most recent in a string of attacks by drones and pirates on merchant ships in the area, which includes the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea.

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In response to recent attacks on merchant vessels bound for India, the Indian navy has significantly increased surveillance in the volatile area and sent task groups comprising roughly ten warships.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict started on October 7, the Houthi militia has been using drones and missiles to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, announced their allegiance to Hamas. Following the attacks, several shipping companies ceased operations in the Red Sea, forcing sailors to alter their routes and circumnavigate the southern tip of Africa.