India Navy rescues 21 crew from a missile hit ship in the Gulf of Aden

New Delhi: The Indian Navy has rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national from a Barbados-flagged cargo vessel that was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden.

The crew members had abandoned the bulk carrier MV True Confidence after it caught fire following the attack on Wednesday. Indian missile destroyer INS Kolkata responded to the distress call and brought them to safety, a spokesperson of the Indian Navy said here on Thursday.

The warship, one of the many deployed for maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at the scene of action at 4.45 pm and rescued the crew members from a life raft using its helicopter and boats. Medical aid was provided to injured individuals.

The rescued crew, including the critically injured personnel, have been evacuated to Djibouti by INS Kolkata.

The Barbados-flagged vessel was reportedly hit by a drone approximately 55 nautical miles south west of Aden resulting in the fire on board and injuries to some of the crew members forcing the crew to abandon the ship, he said.

The fresh incident came amid increasing global concerns over attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by the Houthi militants.

Since December, the Indian Navy has been extending assistance to a number of merchant vessels in the western Indian Ocean following attacks on them. The Indian warships deployed in the western seaboard also thwarted a number of piracy attempts that are on the rise.