Indian Navy’s warship INS Visakhapatnam responds to drone attack on merchant vessel 60 nautical miles South of Port Aden. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Even as the U.S.-led coalition continued strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen, meant to “degrade” their capabilities, the drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden continued. In the latest incident, the Indian Navy’s destroyer INS Visakhapatnam responded to a distress call by Marshall Island-flagged merchant vessel m.v.Genco Picardy following a drone attack at 11.11 p.m. on January 17. No casualties have been reported and the vessel is heading to the next port of call.
“INS Visakhapatnam, undertaking anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden, acknowledged the distress call and intercepted the vessel at 0030 hrs on January 18, 2024 in order to provide assistance. m.v.Genco Picardy with 22 crew members, nine Indians, reported nil casualties and fire under control,” the Navy said in a statement on Thursday.
