Again another cargo ship hit by drone, on the way to India; was fired by Houthis : US

MUMBAI : A Gabon–flagged commercial oil tanker on its way to India with 25 crew, all of them Indian nationals, came under a drone attack in the southern Red Sea though no casualty was reported, Defence officials said Sunday.

This came a day after another India-bound cargo ship with 22 crew members, 21 of them Indians, was hit by a suspected drone in the Arabian Sea, about 200 nautical miles off the Gujarat coast.

No one has claimed responsibility for either of the two attacks which are the latest in a series of UAV and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea region, especially those linked to Israel, since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.

The US Central Command said Sunday’s attack, on MV Sai Baba, was carried out by the Houthis. On Saturday, it said, M V Chem Pluto, an oil tanker ferrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to Mangalore, was hit by a drone launched from Iran.

The Indian Navy has launched its own probe into the strike on M V Chem Pluto. “Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists will be embarking MV Chem Pluto on arrival at Mumbai to sanitise the vessel and undertake further investigation,” the Navy said.

Vital route

The Red Sea is among the world’s busiest shipping routes. Because of the Houthi attacks many shipping companies are rerouting their cargo vessels through longer ones. The longer journeys will add at least 10 days shipping time and significantly increase global costs.

“The situation is being closely monitored,” a Defence official said.

Escorted by Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram, MV Chem Pluto was expected to reach Mumbai on Monday, officials said. Upon its arrival, damage assessment and repair of power generation systems will be undertaken on the ship, they said.

“The Indian Navy continues to monitor the situation very closely with all stakeholders and remains committed to ensuring safety of merchant shipping in the region,” a Defence spokesperson said.

After the strike Saturday, the Indian Navy dispatched a P8I maritime patrol aircraft and a warship, INS Mormugao, to assist the ship. A general security alert was also sounded in Maharashtra and coastal police were asked to step up their vigil after the incidents.

Mumbai police officers said they are conducting round-the-clock patrols to ensure safety of the city coastline. “We have our boats with designated personnel on it to guard the city’s coastline. We are taking appropriate measures to ensure that no untoward incident happens in the city,” said an officer.