The Indian Navy warship, INS Kolkata, rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, after Barbados-flagged Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence was reportedly hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, the Navy said on Thursday. The US military’s Central Command earlier said at least three crew members were killed and many survivors were forced to abandon the vessel after a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on the commercial ship.

The Indian Navy said critical medical aid was provided to the injured crew by the ship’s medical team.

“Barbados Flagged Bulk Carrier MV True Confidence was reportedly hit by a drone/ missile, approx 55 nm South West of Aden, on 6 March 6, 2024, resulting in fire onboard and critical injuries to some of the crew members forcing the crew to abandon the ship,” the Indian Navy posted on X (formally Twitter).

“INS Kolkata, deployed for Maritime Security Operations arrived at the scene of action and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, from the life raft using its integral helicopter and boats. Critical medical aid was provided to the injured crew by the ship’s medical team,” it added while sharing a video of the rescue operation.

It was the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After the missile hit, the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats. A US warship and the Indian Navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts, news agency AP earlier reported.

The ship’s managers and owners said the ship’s crew of 20 included one Indian, 15 Filipino and four Vietnamese. Three armed guards, two from Sri Lanka and one from Nepal, also were on board. The ship had been carrying steel from China to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, it added.

“One Vietnamese and two Filipino crew members have lost their lives,” a statement from the owners and managers of the True Confidence said early Thursday. “A further two Filipinos crew members have suffered serious injuries. All crew members were taken to Djibouti.”

The United Nations called on the Houthis “to cease all attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, expressing serious concern about the continuing attacks, including the latest incident where the status of the crew is unknown.

Brigadier general Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels’ attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted”.

The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn’t killed any crew members. The vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was travelling from Singapore to Djibouti. No one was injured.

(With inputs from AP)