Specifically, India said it diverted a warship deployed in the area to rescue the 22 crew members on the Genco Picardy. There were nine Indian nationals on board. The entire crew is safe and the fire on the ship has been extinguished, Reuters reported.
According to the US, the Houthi forces in Yemen were behind the attack on the cargo ship. Genco Shipping, the operator of the Genco Picardy, said the ship was hit while traveling through the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Genco Picardy ship on fire after Houthi attack
Since November 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in and around the Red Sea that the group claims are linked to Israel, in a show of support for Hamas in the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this week, Houthi forces attacked the US-owned and operated Gibraltar Eagle cargo ship with an anti-ship ballistic missile. There were no reports of injuries or significant damage.
Houthi attacks US ship after Washington's latest move
The attacks have disrupted the vital shipping route, which carries about 15% of the world's shipping traffic and is a vital trade artery between Europe and Asia.
The widening crisis is raising concerns among central banks about the prospect of global inflation. Ukraine, also ravaged by conflict, said the situation had slowed agricultural exports this month, while Danish shipping line Maersk and other shipping groups have rerouted or suspended shipments until the risks are resolved.
Also on January 18, Al Jazeera news agency reported that the Israeli military sounded an alarm in the southern port city of Eilat. According to local radio, the explosion was the result of an operation to intercept a missile heading towards the area.
Located on the Red Sea, Eilat has been the target of long-range missile attacks by the Houthis in the past, and the group has repeatedly said it will continue to attack ships headed to Israeli ports until the war in the Gaza Strip ends.
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