An India-flagged merchant vessel was attacked by drones in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Porbandar on Saturday, Indian navy sources and a maritime safety company stated. The incident comes in opposition to the backdrop of Iran-backed Houthi rebels stepping up assaults on ships in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas battle.
The Gabon-owned tanker MV Saibaba, carrying round 20 Indian crew didn’t report any accidents. A P-8I long-range maritime surveillance plane, deployed by the Indian Navy after the UK Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO, reported the “attack”, ascertained the protection of the vessel, MV Chem Pluto, and its crew, the sources stated.
The Indian Coast Guard stated the vessel has began making means in the direction of Mumbai publish endeavor injury evaluation and repairs on its energy technology techniques. “The Coast Guard Dornier aircraft has sanitised the area and established communication with Chem Pluto. The vessel has started making way towards Mumbai post undertaking damage assessment and repairs on its power generation systems,” it stated. “The vessel is likely to enter Mumbai and sought escort assistance due to steering issues. Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram will be escorting the ship during its passage. The Indian Coast Guard Operations Centre is monitoring the situation closely,” it stated in a late evening assertion.
Earlier, the Indian Navy dispatched a frontline warship to help the merchant ship. The UKMTO that operates beneath Britain’s Royal Navy stated it obtained a report of an attack by Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) on a vessel inflicting an explosion and fireplace, including the incident befell 200 nautical miles South West of Veraval in India. It stated the fireplace was “extinguished” and there have been no casualties. It is learnt that the vessel, crusing beneath a Liberian flag, was carrying crude oil from Al Jubail port in Saudi Arabia to New Mangalore port.
The Coast Guard stated its Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai obtained info relating to the fireplace onboard MV Chem Pluto. “The MRCC established real time communication with the vessel’s agent and ascertained no loss of life and assured all assistance,” it stated including the Coast Guard “immediately diverted other merchant vessels in the vicinity of Chem Pluto for rendering assistance”.
Indian Navy officers stated a maritime patrol plane was despatched following the incident and it flew overhead the merchant vessel and established contact with it. “The aircraft ascertained the safety of the vessel and its crew,” a Navy official instructed PTI. It is learnt that MV Chem Pluto switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) following the attack. The AIS allows monitoring of a ship.
In a quick assertion, the UKMTO stated that it “received a report of an attack by Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) on a vessel causing an explosion and fire.” The UKMTO stated authorities are “investigating” the incident. “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it stated. The UKMTO is a British navy organisation that gives maritime safety info and largely acts as the first level of contact for merchant vessels concerned in maritime incidents.
It receives studies and data on suspicious incidents from merchant delivery and shares that info with its regional, nationwide contacts, in addition to Industry and vessels working in that space, in accordance with UKMTO. The Indian Navy’s deployment of the maritime patrol plane and the warship got here days after it swiftly responded to the hijacking of a Malta-flagged cargo vessel by pirates in the Arabian Sea. The hijacking of the cargo vessel was reported on December 14. Days later, it evacuated one of many 18 crew members onboard the vessel off the coast of Somalia to offer medical care after he was injured by the pirates.
(With inputs from PTI)Â
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