Israel-Hamas war: Indian Navy douses fire at British oil tanker after US strikes Houthi-linked missile

An anti-ship missile was struck by the United States’ forces in Houthi-held Yemen which they claimed was prepared to fire early on Saturday (Jan 27).  The missile was struck hours after a British tanker in the Gulf of Aden was struck by the Iran-backed rebels with a similar munition triggering a fire in the oil tanker, which was later doused by the Indian Navy.

Joint strikes have been launched by the US and British forces which are aimed at reducing the ability of Houthis to target vessels that are moving in the key Red Sea trade route. The rebels have claimed to be in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas have been engaged in the war.

A series of unilateral air raids have been carried out by Washington, however, the Houthis have vowed to continue carrying out the attacks. 

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed to have carried out another strike on Saturday morning (Jan 27) on a Houthi “anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch”.

“Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defence,” CENTCOM said, in a statement shared on social media platform X.

Houthis’ military spokesman Yahya Saree had earlier said that the British oil tanker, named Marlin Luanda, was struck by missiles which were launched by Yemeni naval forces, said the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saree. “The strike was direct, and resulted (in) the burning of the vessel,” he said.

Later, CENTCOM, confirming the strike, said, “The ship issued a distress call and reported damage. USS Carney (DDG 64) and other coalition ships have responded and are rendering assistance. No injuries have been reported at this time.”

The Houthis, on Friday (Jan 26), fired an anti-ship ballistic missile towards the Carney in the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, said CENTCOM.

“The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney. There were no injuries or damage reported,” it said.

Earlier, risk monitor Ambrey said that a Panama-flagged oil tanker “reported seeing two blasts” in the Gulf of Aden, which was corroborated by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) of the British Navy. However, no damage was reported on the oil tanker.

Watch: Yemen Houthi rebels escalate Red sea attacks

The security firm said that the missiles blasted nearly a mile from the India-affiliated oil tanker and 200-300 metres (650-1,000 feet), which was above the waterline. UKMTO said that the missiles were detonated in the water.

In the month of November, the Houthis started targeting Red Sea shipping, stating that they were striking Israeli-linked vessels to express their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. 

Indian Navy’s guided-missile destroyer responded to an SOS call issued by a merchant ship, Marlin Launda, after it was struck by a missile and caught fire in the Gulf of Aden, said the Indian Navy in a statement on Saturday (Jan 27). 

There were 22 Indians and a Bangladeshi crew on board. On the basis of the request from MV Merlin Luanda, INS Visakhapatnam sent the Ship’s NBCD team along with firefighting equipment to provide assistance to the crew in its firefighting efforts, said the Indian Navy.

“Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed to safeguarding merchant vessels and ensuring safety of life at sea,” said the Indian Navy, in the statement.

After six hours of battling the fire along with the crew of MV Marlin Luanda, the Indian Naval firefighting team successfully brought the fire under control. The team is currently monitoring the situation to rule out any possibility of re-ignition.  

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)