An Indian-flagged commercial vessel has sunk in the Red Sea after being attacked off the coast of Yemen, with all 14 crew members rescued, according to reporting by AFP published in Arab News.
The MSV Faize Noore Oliya went down on Tuesday after coming under attack south of the port city of Hodeidah. A local official in the Yemeni city of Mokha told the news agency that coast guards rescued the crew, comprising 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government blamed the Iran-backed Houthi militia for the attack, according to the official Saba news agency.
Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on X that the vessel had been “hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters”, adding: “India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack.”
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said: “The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end.”
AFP reported that India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025 according to figures from the country’s shipping ministry.
The sinking follows the Houthis’ declaration last month of a Red Sea maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil, since when the group has claimed several attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure.
The Red Sea has been a focus of naval activity since the Houthis began attacking shipping in late 2023, initially framing the campaign as a response to the war in Gaza. The attacks forced a large proportion of container traffic away from the Suez Canal and around the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening voyages between Asia and Europe and raising costs across global supply chains.
