Houthi attack: Indian Navy deploys fire-fighting team on board British oil tanker with 22 Indian crew members

INS Visakhapatnam responded to the merchant vessel Marlin Launda's distress call after it reported a missile hit.

The Indian Navy stated that its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam has deployed a team to assist with firefighting efforts on board the British oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda, which has 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew members on January 27.

According to the Indian Navy, INS Visakhapatnam has deployed the ship's NBCD team, as well as firefighting equipment, to aid the crew in enhancing firefighting efforts onboard the damaged MV Merlin Luanda.

As per foreign media sources, the tanker caught fire following a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi militants which is the latest incident involving the Iran-backed group on the crucial shipping route Gulf of Aden.

"The Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding MVs (merchant vessels) and ensuring safety of life at sea," the Indian Navy said. The operator of the British oil tanker has said the vessel had been "struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden after transiting the Red Sea", according to the reports.

The Indian Navy has significantly increased its surveillance apparatus in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden by deploying frontline destroyers and frigates given recent incidents of attacks on merchant vessels. Earlier this month, the Indian Navy responded to a drone attack distress call from MV Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden on the night of January 17, and on January 5, it had thwarted an attempted hijacking of Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea and rescued all its crew members.

Earlier, on December 23, the Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, which included 21 Indian crew members, was targeted by a drone strike off India's west coast. In addition to the MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker on its way to India was targeted by a suspected drone strike in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The sailboat carried a team of 25 Indians.

With inputs from agencies