The Indian Navy's "mission deployed" guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam was deployed to help a Marshall Island-flagged cargo vessel MV Genco Picardy that came under a drone attack in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday night. The vessel had 22 crew members, including nine Indians.
According to officials, the vessel came under a drone strike in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday night and the Indian Navy swiftly responded to the attack within an hour.
The merchant vessel was attacked 60 nautical miles South of Port Aden. It is unclear who launched the drone at the vessel.
The officials said the Indian Navy's EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) specialists boarded the vessel early Thursday morning to inspect the damaged area. The EOD specialists, after a thorough inspection, have cleared the ship for further transit, the officials said in a statement.
"INS Visakhapatnam, mission deployed in the 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 2311 hrs on Wednesday," an Indian Navy spokesperson said. "INS Visakhapatnam, undertaking anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden, acknowledged the distress call and intercepted the vessels at 0030 hours Thursday in order to provide assistance," he said.
Last month, the Indian Navy warship and maritime patrol aircraft responded to a hijacking incident in the Arabian Sea involving Malta Flagged Vessel MV Ruen that was heading towards Somalia. On receiving a distress call from MV Ruen, the Navy diverted its Naval Maritime Patrol aircraft undertaking surveillance in the area and its warship on Anti Piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden to locate and assist MV Ruen.
Earlier this month, Navy's marine commandos rescued 21 crew members on a bulk carrier in the North Arabian Sea. They had responded to a distress call to the British Authorities from Liberian flagged MV Lila Norfolk. INS Chennai responded to the call after the ship's crew reported that six armed men hijacked the merchant vessel. INS Chennai responded to the call. After having intercepted the ship, the MARCOs team approached the vessel on a small boat but couldn't find the hijackers.
