INS Kolkata comes to Barbados-flagged bulk carrier's rescue in Gulf of Aden (PHOTOS)

The Indian Navy came to the rescue of yet another shipping vessel that came under attack from the Houthi militia in the Gulf of Aden, 70 nautical miles off the coast of Djibouti. The fresh incident came amid increasing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by the Houthi militants. 

Indian warship INS Kolkata came to the rescue of Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence after it was reportedly hit by a drone or a missile, approx 55 nm South West of Aden. The explosion resulted in fire onboard and critical injuries to some of the crew members forcing the crew to abandon the ship.

In a statement, the Indian Navy said, 'INS Kolkata, deployed for Maritime Security Operations arrived at the scene of action at 1645 hours and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, from the life raft using its integral helicopter and boats. Critical medical aid was provided to the injured crew by the ship’s medical team. The rescued crew were evacuated to Djibouti.'

According to the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority, out of a total of 21 crew members successfully rescued and evacuated one person succumbed to injuries while four required urgent medical care. The crew included individuals of Filipino, Vietnamese, and Indian nationalities.

The government of Djibouti expressed gratitude to the Indian Navy for its aid to the ship. Over recent weeks, the Indian Navy has provided assistance to numerous merchant vessels in the Western Indian Ocean region following attacks on them.