Israeli merchant ship MV Chem Pluto, which was coming to India, was attacked by drones near the Indian coast in the Arabian Sea. Due to this, a part of the ship flying the flag of Liberia caught fire.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has made a big claim. The Pentagon says the Iranian drone attack targeted a chemical tanker near India.
The Drone Was Launched From Iran
The US Defense Department said that this drone was launched from Iran which targeted a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean. A Pentagon spokesman told Reuters news agency that the Israeli ship was attacked by a drone from Iran in an area 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) southwest of Veraval in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, causing a fire.
It Was The Seventh Iranian Attack On Commercial Shipping
The Pentagon said in the statement that it was the seventh Iranian attack on commercial shipping since 2021. However, a spokesperson of the Iranian delegation to the United Nations has not given any statement regarding this.
Israeli Ship Caught Fire Due To Drone Attack
The incident comes as Iran-backed Houthi rebels step up attacks on ships in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas war. According to the British Army’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the Israeli ship caught fire due to a drone attack in the area southwest of Veraval in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) away.
There Is Crude Oil In The Merchant Ship
The Israeli merchant ship was carrying crude oil and was headed towards Mangaluru from a port in Saudi Arabia. Indian Navy officials said that soon after receiving information about the attack, a maritime patrol aircraft sent to the area flew over the merchant ship and established contact with it.
The safety of the ship and its crew was ensured. A frontline warship of the Indian Navy has been sent for its protection. Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram is also moving towards MV Chem Pluto for assistance.
