Indian Cargo Ship Sinks After Attack in Red Sea, All 14 Crew Rescued
An Indian-flagged cargo vessel, FAIZE NOORE OLIYA, was sunk in a missile and explosive drone attack in the Red Sea off Yemen’s coast on August 4, local time, with all 14 crew members rescued safely.
Published
11:30
Indian Cargo Ship Sinks After Attack in Red Sea, All 14 Crew Rescued
An Indian-flagged cargo vessel, FAIZE NOORE OLIYA, was sunk in a missile and explosive drone attack in the Red Sea off Yemen’s coast on August 4, local time, with all 14 crew members rescued safely.
The attack took place around 10:40 a.m., 13 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Hodeidah Port, an area under the control of the Houthi movement. An explosive-laden unmanned speedboat crashed directly into the ship, causing severe hull damage, rapid water ingress and eventual capsizing and sinking of the merchant vessel.
Yemen’s coast guard and naval forces launched an emergency rescue operation and saved all crew on board, including 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni national. Five crew members sustained minor injuries, while all survivors are in stable condition. They have been transferred to Yemen’s Port of Mokha for medical treatment and shelter. India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed the rescue news and thanked Yemeni authorities for their prompt assistance.
Maritime intelligence data revealed unusual operational patterns of the vessel prior to the attack. The ship repeatedly turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), sailing "dark" for prolonged periods in high-risk waters. It experienced multiple AIS signal blackouts this year, including a 30.7-day outage in the Gulf of Oman and a 44-day full dark sailing period starting from late June until its sinking. Such covert navigation practices raise maritime security risks and increase the chance of misjudgment and attacks in the volatile Red Sea region.
The Indian government issued a strong condemnation of the unprovoked attack on a civilian commercial ship. The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that assaults on commercial shipping in the region must cease immediately, urging the restoration of free and unimpeded navigation in accordance with international law. India’s embassy in Riyadh is coordinating closely with Yemeni authorities to ensure the safety and proper resettlement of the rescued crew. Relevant Indian maritime agencies have been ordered to take full measures to protect Indian seafarers operating in the Red Sea and provide comprehensive support to the affected sailors.To date, no group or armed faction has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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