India’s navy successfully evacuated all 20 crew members from the distressed vessel in the Red Sea on Thursday following a Houthi attack that resulted in the first civilian casualties in the Yemeni group’s campaign against the crucial shipping route.
The Barbados-flagged True Confidence, operated by a Greek company, was targeted by a missile about 50 nautical miles off the southern Yemeni port of Aden, leading to a blaze.
The owners and manager of the vessel stated that all 20 crew members and three armed guards were transported to a hospital in Djibouti, Horn of Africa, by an Indian warship. The attack claimed the lives of two Filipino nationals and one Vietnamese crew member, with two other Filipinos sustaining severe injuries.
Vietnam condemned the attack, confirming one death among its nationals and reporting the well-being of the remaining three. Images released by the Indian Navy depicted a helicopter rescuing crew members from a life raft, with some wounded individuals shown on a navy lifeboat before being evacuated to Djibouti hospital.
The vessel, now adrift away from land, is undergoing salvage arrangements, and a salvage contract has been signed, though details are limited due to security concerns.
The Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, ongoing since November, have escalated, purportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Global shipping associations strongly denounced the loss of life and injuries to civilian seafarers, emphasizing the urgent need for decisive action to protect innocent lives and halt such threats. The escalating attacks have led to a significant increase in insurance costs for voyages through the Red Sea since November.
The Houthi use of advanced weaponry, including ballistic missiles and “kamikaze drones,” has continued despite previous strikes on their bases. The International Transport Workers’ Federation called for enhanced protection, urging the industry to divert ships around the Cape of Good Hope until safe transit through the Red Sea can be assured.
Approximately 23,000 ships pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait annually, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal, constituting about 12% of global trade. Choosing the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope adds approximately 10 days to the journey, causing delays and increased costs.
The True Confidence, en route from China to Jeddah and Aqaba with a cargo of steel products and trucks, is owned by Liberia-registered True Confidence Shipping SA and operated by Greece-based Third January Maritime, with no current connection to any US entity.