Drone Attack On Israel-Linked Merchant Ship With 21 Indians In Arabian Sea, Indian Coast Guard Vessel Sent For Assistance

An Israel-affiliated merchant vessel sailing in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast was targeted by an unmanned aerial vehicle, causing a fire, as reported by British maritime security firm Ambrey on Saturday (23 December).

The incident occurred approximately 200 km (120 miles) southwest of Veraval, India, and involved a Liberian-flagged chemical products tanker.

As reported by Indian Express, Ambrey confirmed that the fire on the vessel was successfully extinguished without any casualties among the crew.

However, the ship did sustain some structural damage, and water was reported to have entered the vessel.

According to a WION report, an Indian naval aircraft was immediately sent to assess the situation, to assess the safety of the ship and its crew.

The Indian Navy's Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft established communication with the distressed vessel.

The vessel, which is carrying crude oil, was going towards Mangaluru from a port in Saudi Arabia.

The crew includes 21 Indians, and an Indian Coast Guard vessel is moving towards the merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which is 217 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast,

Defence officials said the Indian Coast Guard (ICGS) ship, ICGS Vikram, which was patrolling the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, has been directed towards the merchant ship in distress.

ANI reported that the MV Chem Pluto has started moving at a speed of around 11 nautical miles per hour and Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram is likely to rendezvous with it around 10 pm tonight.

MV Chem Pluto has also requested to be escorted by ICGS Vikram and is expected to reach Mumbai by early 25 December, ANI reported citing ICG officials.

The Coast Guard vessel has alerted all ships in the area to provide assistance to it.

The Israeli connection of the vessel raises security concerns as this incident follows a series of drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea carried out by Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis claim to be supporting Palestinians in Gaza, currently under siege by Israel.

These attacks have targeted commercial shipping, compelling shippers to alter their courses and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa to ensure the safety of their vessels.