Indian Navy Rescues Ship Crew After Houthi Attack in Red Sea

A Barbados-flagged merchant and Greek-operated vessel, MV True Confidence, was targeted in a ballistic missile attack, prompting swift action by an Indian naval warship.

"Barbados Flagged Bulk Carrier MV TrueConfidence reported on fire after a drone/missile hit on 06Mar, approx 54 nm South West of Aden, resulting in critical injuries to the crew, forcing them to abandon ship," the Indian Navy said on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

The civilian cargo ship MV True Confidence, under attack in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, sustained severe damage from a Houthi missile strike that tragically resulted in the death of three crew members and left four others injured, CNN reported on Thursday.

The Indian Navy's medical team provided critical care to the injured crew, facilitating their evacuation to Djibouti on Wednesday evening, the Navy said on X.

The Iran-backed Houthis say they aim to blockade all shipments bound for Israel in solidarity with Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis oppose Israel and said they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip. Houthis have since attacked cargo vessels linked to Israel, the United States and its allies.

The Indian Navy has stepped up its presence in the Red Sea to counter the attacks by Houthis as the tensions in the vital shipping lane continue.

According to India's state-owned DD News, the successful rescue operation by INS Kolkata brought 21 MV True Confidence crew members to safety.

The MV True Confidence was reportedly struck approximately 55 nautical miles southwest of Aden, leading to a fire on the ship and critical injuries among some crew members, which necessitated their evacuation from the vessel.

The Indian Navy's INS Kolkata, which was deployed for maritime security operations, reached the scene at approximately 4:45 p.m., rescuing 21 crew members, including one Indian national, with the aid of helicopters and boats.

"The Navy has deployed around 10-12 warships at the Arabian Sea, including INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Kolkata, INS Chennai, and a Talwar Class frigate," The Indian Express reported on Friday.

Bloomberg reported in January that merchant vessels used tactics such as safeguarding their cargo from Houthi attacks by broadcasting the nationalities of their crew. China-linked vessels have used "all Chinese crew" and "Chinese ownership" for their automatic identification system, or AIS, data to protect their vessels from missiles.

This attack was the first incident that led to the death of crew members onboard a cargo vessel attacked by Houthis since the group began targeting cargo ships in October 2023.

Among the deceased were two Filipinos and one Vietnamese national, with at least four other individuals sustaining injuries, three of them critically. In response, the Indian Navy conducted a rescue operation, evacuating all personnel onboard to safety in Djibouti.

The vessel was traveling with steel products from the Chinese port of Lianyungang to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Aqaba in Jordan, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

In the aftermath of the attack, a Houthi spokesperson mischaracterized True Confidence as an "American ship." However, the vessel's management clarified that it had "no current connection with any U.S. entity."

"The attack seems likely to have been a result of the ship's previous ownership by Oaktree, one of the US private equity firms that is most active in shipping investment. One person familiar with the issue said the vessel had changed hands to the new owners as recently as February 2," Financial Times said.

"Wednesday's fatalities were the first to occur from an attack by the Iranian-backed Yemeni group since its campaign against commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden began in November 2023," Foreign Policy reported.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement that U.S. forces shot down ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial systems used by Houthis.

"On March 5, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile and three one-way attack unmanned aerial systems launched from Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen toward USS Carney (DDG 64) in the Red Sea. There are no injuries or damage to the ship," Central Command said on X on Wednesday.