US cargo ship Genco Picardy was hit by drone in the Gulf of Aden
On the 18th of January, in concert with a cohort of Pakistani social media users, the son of the former Chief of Pakistan Intelligence, Abdullah Gul, took to Twitter. He shared two images of ship on X, alleging that the ‘Indian Navy’s INS Visakhapatnam, positioned in the Gulf of Aden, had recently encountered an unidentified drone strike. Reports emerged of significant damage to the vessel.’
Abdullah Gul tweeted, “Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam deployed in Gulf of Aden just got struck by an unknown drone attack. Major damage to the ship being reported.”
Islamabad Vibe wrote on X, “BREAKING: Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam deployed in Gulf of Aden just got struck by an unknown drone attack. Major damage to the ship being reported. Iran backed Yemeni Houthis are suspected to be behind this attack.”
Nigerian Journalist Nasiru Adbulrasheed wrote, “INDIAN NAVY SHIP HIT IN GULF OF ADEN. The Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam has reportedly been struck by an unknown drone attack in the Gulf of Aden. Major damage is reported, with suspicions pointing towards Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis.”
Hello Pakistan tweeted, “The Indian Navy’s destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, was hit by a suicide drone in the Gulf of Aden. The ship’s air defense missiles were unable to stop the drone.”
Our investigative efforts started with a thorough examination of pertinent media coverage surrounding the incident. As reported by the Hindustan Times, the Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, swiftly intervened on Wednesday night in response to a distress call from a Marshall Island-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Aden. According to accounts, the ship had fallen prey to a drone attack orchestrated by unidentified perpetrators.
The Hindustan Times further reported, “INS Visakhapatnam has been deployed by the Indian Navy in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations. The naval ship responded to a distress call by Marshall Island flagged MV Genco Picardy. The merchant ship was attacked by a drone at 11.11 pm on Wednesday. The Indian naval ship acknowledged the distress call and intercepted the vessel at 12.30 am today and provided assistance. MV Genco Picardy has 22 crew, including 9 Indian sailors. No casualties were recorded. The Navy’s EOD specialists from INS Visakhapatnam boarded the vessel in the early hours of 18 January 24 to inspect the damaged area. After a thorough inspection, they allowed the ship for further transit.”
Furthermore, our investigation revealed a tweet from the Indian Navy affirming that the INS Visakhapatnam, deployed in the Gulf of Aden, did indeed respond to a distress call originating from the US-based cargo ship MV Genco Picardy.
Spokesperson Navy wrote on X, “IndianNavy’s Guided Missile Destroyer INSVisakhapatnam, mission deployed in GulfofAden for antipiracy ops, swiftly responded to 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 by Marshall Island flagged MV GencoPicardy following a 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠 at 2311 hrs on 17Jan 24 & intercepted the MV at 0030 hrs on #18Jan 24 to provide assistance. MV Genco Picardy with 22 crew (incl 09 Indian) reported nil casualties & fire under control. EOD specialist from INSVisakhapatnam boarded MV in early hours of 18 Jan. Damaged area thoroughly inspected & rendered safe by EOD specialists for trasiting to next port of call.”
In summary, Pakistani social media users disseminated misinformation. In actuality, the US-based cargo ship MV Genco Picardy fell victim to a drone attack in the Gulf of Aden. After that, a distress call was issued, prompting a rapid response from the Indian Navy’s INS Visakhapatnam, which was also deployed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations. The swift and decisive action taken ensured the safety of all persons on board, preventing any other damages.
| Claim | Indan Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam was hit by drone in the Gulf of Aden |
| Claimed by | Pakistani social media users |
| Fact Check | Fake |
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