The Indian Navy will deploy three warships to the Arabian Sea following a drone attack on a merchant ship, a Navy spokesman said.
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“Given the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed guided missile destroyers Mormugao, Kochi and Kolkata in various areas to maintain deterrence,” the official said.
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He noted that P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft will take part in the operation.
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“Western Naval Command’s Maritime Operations Center is actively monitoring the situation in close coordination with the Coast Guard and all concerned agencies,” the Navy spokesman added.
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Over the weekend, the UK’s Maritime Trade Authority said a drone strike damaged a merchant ship off the coast of India and there were no casualties in the incident. The crude oil carrier Chem Pluto, which had a crew of 20 Indians, was hit. The Pentagon subsequently announced that the unmanned aerial vehicle that attacked the ship was launched from Iran.
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Previously, the ruling Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in northern Yemen, which controls most of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, warned of its intention to attack any ships associated with Israel, calling on other countries to recall their crews from them and not to approach them at sea. A number of shipping companies have decided to suspend transportation through the Red Sea. Energy companies BP and Equinor also announced a decision to suspend tanker transportation of petroleum products across the Red Sea.
