In view of recent attacks on commercial vessels in Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy on Monday deployed three warships to maintain a deterrent presence.
Indian Navy Deploys Warships In Arabian Sea
The Indian Navy has already launched an investigation into the drone strike on a Mangalore-bound cargo vessel off India’s west coast in the Arabian Sea even as the merchant ship is set to reach Mumbai escorted by an ICG. The Navy and the Indian Coast Guard swung into action on Saturday by swiftly deploying their assets, including a warship and maritime patrol aircraft, soon after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported the drone “attack” on MV Chem Pluto that has 21 Indian crew members.
What Happened On That Day!
Chem Pluto, a chemical/ oil tanker with a crew of 21 Indians and a Vietnamese, was on its way to New Mangalore from Al Jubail (Saudi Arabia) when it came under attack on Saturday, 200 nautical miles southwest of Veraval, Gujarat, leading to an explosion and fire. No casualty was reported.
Deployments
The Navy dispatched a P8I maritime patrol aircraft and a warship, and the Coast Guard sent an offshore patrol vessel and a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to assist the Liberian-flagged commercial ship. “The Indian Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team inspected the vessel to make a preliminary assessment of the type and nature of attack,” it said. “However, further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used.”
“Considering the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, Indian Navy has deployed guided missile destroyers INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence,” the Navy said in its statement.
Yemen’s Houthi
The incident came amid a series of UAV and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea region, especially those bound for Israel, since October when the Israel-Hamas war began. A Gabon-flagged commercial oil tanker, MV Sai Baba, on its way to India with 25 crew members, all of them Indians, also came under drone attack in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, along with another Norwegian-flagged ship. There were no casualties reported.
US Central Command Prediction
The US Central Command said Sunday’s attack was carried out by the Houthis. On Saturday, it said Chem Pluto was hit by a drone launched from Iran. Because of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, many shipping companies are rerouting their cargo vessels through longer routes leading to higher fuel costs.
