New Delhi: The Indian Navy has sent two warships to the Gulf of Oman where two oil tankers were attacked by non state actors last week. The Indian military ships were send to protect vessels carrying Indian flags from any sabotage attempts.
The region is under threat of escalation of hostilities after the US accused Iran of being behind the attack of two oil tankers moving through the crowded shipping lane. The area is a vital route of oil tankers transporting oil from Saudi Arabia and UAE to the rest of the world.
Navy spokesperson, Captain D. K. Sharma, said, “We have deployed destroyer INS Chennai and patrol vessel INS Sunayna under Operation Sankalp to re-assure Indian flagged vessels operating/transiting through the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman after the maritime security incidents in the region.”
The Navy is also conducting aerial surveillance of the area to detect any threats to the vessels passing through the region.
The spokesperson added, “Moreover, the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region, which was launched by the Navy in December, 2018, with its central hub in Gurugram, is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region.”
The Indian Directorate General of Shipping had issued two advisories on 13 and 16 June to all Indian-flag vessels to take steps for self protection measures after reviewing the situation prevailing in the region.
The Navy said, “The Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring the safety Indian maritime trade and merchant vessels operating in the region and contributing towards maintaining a stable and peaceful Indian Ocean Region.”
