A large percentage of India’s trade, including oil and fertilisers, passes through the Gulf of Aden. Drone attack on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday night triggered a fire

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden following a drone attack on Wednesday night. There were no casualties in the vessel with 22 crew (including nine Indians) and fire was brought under control. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.

“INS Visakhapatnam, mission deployed in Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations, swiftly responded to a distress call by Marshall Island flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack at 23.11 hrs on 17 Jan 24,” the Indian Navy said in a statement on Thursday.

A large percentage of India’s trade, including oil and fertilisers, passes through the Gulf of Aden. Lots of foreign vessels have Indians as crew.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is deeply concerned over the security situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Houthi militants have been attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea since November, apparently in response to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.