3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 4, 2026 11:31 PM IST
An Indian ship, MSV Faize Noore Oliya, has been hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters, causing the vessel to capsize and sink, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday. The minister further added that all 14 seafarers, including 13 Indians, are safe, and that the government is moving to ensure the security of Indian seafarers in the region.
Indian MSV Faize Noore Oliya has been hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters, causing the vessel to capsize and sink.
India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack on the defenseless mechanised sailing vessel. The safety of our people is our supreme priority & I am relieved to…
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) August 4, 2026
In a post on X, Sonowal wrote, “India strongly condemns this unprovoked attack on the defenseless mechanised sailing vessel. The safety of our people is our supreme priority & I am relieved to inform that ALL 14 seafarers (including 13 Indians) have been safely rescued by the Yemeni Coast Guard and brought to the Port of Mokha.”
The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack on the Indian flagged commercial vessel that sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday.
Our statement on the attack on an Indian flagged commercial vessel ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/5dNzioU4jv pic.twitter.com/rGgtnl0luu
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 4, 2026
The ministry added that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is “closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Yemeni authorities for the safety and security of the crew.”
The external affairs ministry further called the continued attacks on commercial shipping in the region “deeply worrisome.”
“The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” the ministry said in a statement.
The vessel was attacked while sailing around 13 nautical miles south of Al Hudaydah in the Red Sea, which caused the ship to sink, Anadolu news agency reported, citing Yemen’s government-aligned National Resistance Forces (NRF).
The report added that after the attack, Yemen’s Navy and Coast Guard launched a joint rescue operation and saved all 14 crew members, including 13 Indians and one Yemeni.
