04 أغسطس, 2026 10:44:43 م
A commercial cargo ship sails at sea (Representational image)
Aden (South24 Center)
India condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged vessel that sank in the Red Sea off Yemen on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as officials confirmed that all 14 people aboard were rescued by Yemeni forces.
India’s minister for ports, shipping and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, identified the vessel as the mechanised sailing vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya and said it capsized and sank after being struck by a projectile near Yemeni waters.
All 14 crew members, including 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni, were rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and taken to the port of Mokha, Sonowal said. He described the incident as an unprovoked attack on a defenseless commercial vessel and said the safety of Indian seafarers remained the government’s highest priority.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said its embassy in Riyadh was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Yemeni authorities to ensure the crew’s safety and security.
The ministry condemned the attack and described the continuing targeting of commercial shipping in the region as deeply concerning.
It called for an end to attacks on merchant vessels and said freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce through international waterways should be restored in accordance with international law.
The Indian confirmation resolves earlier uncertainty over the vessel’s identity and nationality.
Public vessel-tracking databases list Faize Noore Oliya as an Indian-flagged cargo vessel with the Maritime Mobile Service Identity number 419956572. MyShipTracking also lists the vessel’s call sign as 8UMV, while neither MyShipTracking nor VesselFinder displays an International Maritime Organization number.
An official list of mechanised sailing vessels published by India’s Directorate General of Shipping records Faize Noore Oliya under the registration number BDI-1451.
The vessel’s publicly available AIS history is limited and does not establish its route at the time of the attack. Tracking data previously recorded port calls in Dubai and Salalah, but the most recently displayed terrestrial AIS position was received in the Persian Gulf in March, several months before Tuesday’s incident.
A Yemeni media outlet affiliated with the National Resistance Forces initially reported that the vessel had been attacked by an explosive-laden boat about 13 nautical miles south of Hodeidah before it sank.
The “2 December” news agency said a joint operation involving the coast guard’s Red Sea sector and the Yemeni Navy rescued the entire crew and provided them with medical assistance.
The Indian and Yemeni accounts differ on the mechanism of the attack. The Indian shipping minister said the vessel was struck by a projectile, while the Yemeni report attributed the sinking to an explosive-laden boat.
Neither side provided evidence establishing whether the object that struck the vessel was fired from a boat, whether the boat itself exploded near the ship or whether a different weapon was involved.
No group had claimed responsibility by the time of publication, and neither the Indian government nor the Yemeni source publicly identified the attacker.
The vessel’s cargo, departure point and intended destination also remained unknown. There was no information about whether fuel or cargo leaked into the Red Sea after the sinking.
The incident occurred amid escalating threats to commercial navigation around Yemen.
On July 20, the Iran-backed Houthi militia announced what it described as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and threatened vessels dealing with Saudi ports. The group later claimed attacks on Saudi-linked tankers and oil infrastructure, prompting some vessels to avoid Bab al-Mandab, alter their routes or turn off publicly visible tracking signals.
The Houthis have previously used explosive-laden and remotely operated boats in attacks in waters around Yemen. However, their previous use of such weapons does not establish that the group was responsible for the attack on Faize Noore Oliya.
It also remains unknown whether the Indian vessel was travelling to or from a Saudi port, carrying Saudi cargo or linked to a company affected by the Houthi restrictions.
India has repeatedly expressed concern over attacks on commercial vessels across the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz, particularly because of the large number of Indian nationals working aboard international merchant ships.
The Indian government has strengthened monitoring and emergency coordination for Indian seafarers in conflict-affected waters, advising vessel operators and crews to exercise heightened caution and follow maritime security guidance.
Tuesday’s incident confirms that the vessel was Indian-flagged and that its entire crew survived, but key questions remain unresolved, including the exact weapon used, the identity and motive of the attacker and the vessel’s cargo and intended route.