The Indian Navy's guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam responded to an SOS call from the merchant ship Marlin Launda, which was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden.
Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam responded to a distressed call from merchant vessel Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, on the night of January 26 after it was hit by a missile.
The British-origin vessel was carrying 87000MTS of Naphtha. In a post on X, the US Central Command said: "On January 26, at approximately 7:45 p.m. (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 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," it said.
Indian Navy said that its ship had augmented fire-fighting effort onboard Marlin Luanda.
"INS Visakhapatnam which was in the Gulf of Aden responded to a distress call from MV Merlin Luanda," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. The merchant vessel has 22 Indian crew onboard.
After the request from the MV Merlin Luanda, INS Visakhapatnam deployed its Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence (NBCD) team along with fire-fighting equipment to render assistance to the crew.
“Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed to safeguarding MVs and ensuring safety of life at sea,” Madhwal said.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been targeting container ship and oil tankers ever since the Israel’s military operations in conflict ridden Gaza.
MV Marlin Launda was operated on behalf of the trading firm Trafigura. The vessel suffered a missile strike when it was transiting the Red Sea. "We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully," the company said in a statement.
Stating that the attack is unacceptable, the United Kingdom government said it reserves the right to respond appropriately.
"We have been clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately," a UK government official said.
The continuous attacks on the commercial vessels in the Red Sea are being viewed as aggression by the Iran-backed rebels. In the past several attacks have taken place which disrupted global trade. The US and Britain have launched multiple airstrikes in the past.