00:00 Responding to a distress call from MV Mallil Luanda on the night of January 26, the Indian
00:06 Navy announced on Saturday that it has dispatched its guided missile destroyer INS Vishakhapatnam
00:12 to the Gulf of Aden.
00:13 The British oil tanker Mallil Luanda is currently carrying 21 Indian crew members and one Bangladeshi
00:18 crew member.
00:19 The ongoing firefighting efforts on the distressed merchant vessel are being reinforced by the
00:24 NBCD team along with firefighting equipment deployed by INS Vishakhapatnam in support
00:29 of the crew on MV Mallil Luanda.
00:31 The vessel currently has 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew members, stated the Indian
00:36 Navy on X.
00:37 The Navy reiterated its unwavering commitment to safeguarding merchant vessels and ensuring
00:41 the safety of lives at sea.
00:43 Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack, asserting that the naval forces
00:47 executed an operation targeting the British oil tanker Mallil Luanda in the Gulf of Aden.
00:52 Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saria declared in a statement that the group utilised appropriate
00:57 naval missiles, emphasising the precision of the strike.
01:00 The US confirmed the Houthi strike on MV Mallil Luanda with the US Central Command reporting
01:05 on X.
01:06 On January 26, at approximately 7.45pm SANA time, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired
01:12 one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands
01:16 flagged oil tanker MV Mallil Luanda.
01:19 CENTCOM further mentioned that the distressed ship issued a distress call and reported damage.
01:24 USS Qarni and other coalition ships have responded promptly to render assistance and as of now
01:29 no injuries have been reported.
01:31 The recent incident is part of a series of drone and pilot attacks on merchant vessels
01:35 in the Red Sea and parts of the Arabian Sea.
01:38 The Indian Navy has heightened surveillance in the region and deployed task groups comprising
01:41 around 10 warships in response to attacks on India-bound merchant vessels.
01:45 Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, Houthi militia backed by Iran
01:50 has targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea using missiles and drones.
01:54 The Houthi rebels declared their support for Hamas, leading to heightened tensions in the
01:57 region.
01:58 Due to these attacks, several shipping companies have suspended operations in the Red Sea,
02:03 prompting mariners to alter their routes and take longer paths around the southern tip
02:07 of Africa.
02:07 .
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