Indian Navy wins global praise as it once again rescues crew aboard the British oil tanker Andromeda Star carrying oil from Russia to Vadinar port in Gujarat, Western India.
Indian Navy does what its known BEST for – Rescue Missions – Extracts 22 Indians onboard Andromeda Star hit by Yemeni Houthis off the Red Sea
By Ashe N Ayer
The Indian Navy did it again winning global praise for its heroic act.
First it rescued the crew from a Bulgarian vessel MV Aries a month ago. Now
again it has rescued 22 Indians among a 30-member crew of multi-nationals aboard the Panama flagged British oil tanker
carrying oil to Vadinar port in Gujarat in India.
The Navy deployed its destroyer INS Kochi to intercept Panama flagged
merchant vessel (MV) Andromeda Star, which came under a Houthi attack in the
Red Sea on April 26. The Indian Navy chose a crack team from its explosive
ordnance disposal (EOD) of specialists for the mission, who boarded the MV for
residual risk assessment, the navy said in a statement.
An aerial recce by a Indian Navy helicopter was carried out to assess the
situation before the EOD team was deployed on board the India-bound merchant
vessel. “A total of 30 crew members, including 22 Indian nationals, are
reported to be safe and the vessel is continuing its scheduled transit to the
next port,” the statement said.
The swift action in the western Arabian Sea reiterates the navy’s
commitment and resolve to safeguard the seafarers transiting through the
region, a readout of the statement said.
Merchant vessels face the heightened risk off a barrage of missile and drone attacks by the
Houthis in and around Red Sea, and hijacking attempts by Somali pirates in the
region.
The India Navy, with more than 10 warships deployed in the region, thwarted
several piracy attempts and has responded to distress calls made by merchant
ships hit by missiles and drones in an admirable manner winning global praise.
The Houthi rebels have been targeting commercial shipping in and around
the Red Sea after the Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7, 2023, media
reports said.
Several shipping companies have since suspended their operations in the Red Sea following the attacks, which have forced mariners to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa. Not only the crew is endangered by these attacks, taking longer routes to transport cargo makes it an expensive proposition for the carriers in terms of increased freight costs, fuel costs and insurance premia.
Who are the Houthis and why do they attack private vessels going around
the Red Seas?
The Houthis are an armed militant group based in Yemen who are fighting a virtual civil war to separate the south and the north. They are also known as Aris Allah ( defenders of God). They are reportedly trained by the Islamic nation of Iran and supplied arms and ammunitions to attack or ambush western nations vessels.
The Houthis claim that they attack all vessesl connected with USA and UK connected to Israle to show solidarity with their brethren in Gaza fighting the war with Israel in the Gaza strip where more than 2.4 million Palestinian civilians live. The southern Gaza has almost been rid of the Hamas and the Israel Defence forces have withdrawn from the region.
IDF is now concentrating on the northern region and as its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed they would not end the war or declare ceasefire , as demanded globally led by the United Nations and the USA, until all Hamas is crushed and eliminated from the region.
Inputs: Hindustan Times and Indian Navy. Image Courtesy News 18.
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