A commercial oil tanker with the Gabon flag, carrying 25 Indian crew members, was attacked by a drone in the southern Red Sea on its way to India. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, according to Defence officials on Sunday.
The incident occurred a day after another cargo ship bound for India, with 22 crew members, 21 of whom were Indian, was targeted by a suspected drone in the Arabian Sea, approximately 200 nautical miles off the Gujarat coast.
These attacks are part of a series of UAV and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea region, particularly those associated with Israel, since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October. No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks.
The US Central Command stated that the attack on the MV Sai Baba on Sunday was carried out by the Houthis, while the previous day, the MV Chem Pluto, an oil tanker transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia to Mangalore, was hit by a drone launched from Iran.
The Indian Navy has initiated an investigation into the attack on the MV Chem Pluto. Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists will board the ship upon its arrival to conduct a thorough inspection and sanitization.
Due to the Houthi attacks, many shipping companies are rerouting their vessels through longer routes in the Red Sea, adding at least 10 days to shipping times and significantly increasing costs globally.
The situation is under close surveillance by Defence officials. The MV Chem Pluto, escorted by the Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram, is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Monday for damage assessment and power system repairs.
The Indian Navy remains vigilant and committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region. Following Saturday’s attack, a P8I maritime patrol aircraft and warship INS Mormugao were dispatched to assist the ship, along with a general security alert in Maharashtra and increased vigilance by coastal police.
Mumbai police officers are conducting continuous patrols along the coastline to prevent any untoward incidents. Boats with designated personnel are stationed to safeguard the city’s coastline.
