To Counter Attacks on Vessels, Indian Navy Deploys 3 Warships in Arabian Sea

New Delhi: Following the drone attack on merchant navy vessel MV Chem Pluto off India’s west coast in the Arabian Sea when it was on its way to New Mangalore port, the Indian Navy deployed warships INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the region to maintain “deterrent presence. Added to it, P-8I long-range patrol aircraft was also deployed for surveillance.

Three guided missile destroyers have been deployed in the Arabian Sea in view of the spate of attacks on commercial vessels in the region.

The Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto faced a drone attack on Saturday. Recently Iran-backed Houthi rebels are targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Liberian-flagged vessel with 21 Indian and one Vietnamese crew, anchored at outer anchorage off Mumbai. After her arrival, the Indian Navy explosive ordnance disposal team inspected the vessel to make a preliminary assessment of the type and nature of the attack.

According to the Pentagon, MV Chem Pluto was hit by “a one-way attack drone fired from Iran”.

The MV Chem Pluto, carrying crude oil to New Mangalore port from Al Jubail port in Saudi Arabia, was struck about 217 nautical miles from Porbandar on Saturday. No one was injured in the incident.