A suspected drone struck a Liberian-flagged, Israel-affiliated merchant ship in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast on Saturday resulting in a fire aboard the vessel, reported Reuters.
No casualties were reported among the crew on the chemical products tanker, MV Chem Pluto, that had around 20 Indian citizens. The ship was attacked about 200 km southwest of Veraval, Gujarat.
The incident was first flagged by Ambrey, a British maritime security agency. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also flagged the incident, attributing the attack to an “Uncrewed Aerial System”.
Ambrey said: “Some structural damage was also reported and some water was taken onboard. The vessel was Israel-affiliated. She had last called Saudi Arabia and was destined for India at the time.”
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have sent vessels, including the ICGS Vikram, which patrols the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone Region of the Indian Ocean, toward the merchant ship for assistance.
The Hindu reported that there has so far not been any claim of responsibility for the strike, which follows a spate of drone and missile attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s offensive on Gaza.
On December 16, the Indian Navy had deployed its maritime patrol aircraft and its warship in response to the hijacking of a Malta-flagged merchant vessel, the MV Ruen, in the Arabian Sea.
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