New Delhi: The Indian Navy warship INS Mormugao has reached the MV Chem Pluto, a merchant vessel en route to Bharat, following an drone attack by an Iranian drone on Saturday night. Officials disclosed that an investigation has been initiated to determine whether the drone was launched from long range or a nearby vessel, according to reports.
According to a Pentagon (US Department of Defence) spokesperson speaking to Reuters, the Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker, CHEM PLUTO, was hit at approximately 10 am local time (6 am GMT) in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast. The attack involved a one-way drone fired from Iran.
As of now, the Indian Coast Guard ship Vikram is escorting MV Chem Pluto, and both are expected to reach the Mumbai coast on Monday. Officials from the Indian Coast Guard confirmed that ICGS Vikram reached the distressed ship last evening, and both vessels are currently in Indian waters.
This incident adds to the escalating regional tensions, following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The Pentagon has highlighted that this marks the “seventh Iranian attack on commercial shipping since 2021.”
MV Chem Pluto, carrying 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew member, caught fire on Saturday after the suspected drone attack. The Indian Coast Guard successfully secured the vessel, as stated in an official statement.
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