NEW DELHI: A Gabon-flagged commercial tanker, transporting 25 Indian crew members, was targeted in a drone attack in the Southern Red Sea, according to reports of another assault on a Merchant Vessel. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as stated by officials on Sunday.
The United States's CENTCOM said on social media platform X on Sunday. "At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack," The USS Laboon responded to the distress calls from these attacks, it stated.
The CENTCOM is one of the 11 unified combat commands of the US having Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia under its area of responsibility.
As per the US Central Command, the vessel MV Sai Baba was attacked by a drone launched by Houthi militants in the Southern Red Sea on Saturday, along with another Norwegian-flagged tanker.
The incident reported by the US military comes a day after merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto, with around 21 Indian crew members, was hit by a suspected drone about 200 nautical miles southwest of Veraval, Gujarat, in the Arabian Sea.
Indian Navy's mission-deployed platforms respond swiftly to distress calls by MV Chem Pluto in Arabian Sea involving a missile/ drone attack on MT Chem Pluto. The vessel with 22 crew (21 Indian and one Vietnamese) was reported on fire after being hit by a projectile at around 0745 h on 23 Dec 23 likely to be a missile or drone.
Responding swiftly to the developing situation, the Indian Navy diverted a maritime patrol aircraft operating in the area undertaking routine surveillance. The Indian Navy also diverted the Indian naval ship Mormugao to assess the situation and provide assistance to MV Chem Pluto.
The US military had said MV Saibaba was an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, but Indian officials clarified that it was a Gabon-flagged vessel.
In a post on 'X', the US Central Command highlighted the attack on MV Sai Baba along with a drone strike on another vessel on Saturday.
In yet another Incident on Dec 14, a Malta-flagged Merchant Vessel Ruen was boarded and hijacked by unknown assailants in the Arabian Sea, and was taken to the Somali coast.
The citadel onboard MV Ruen was breached and all crew members were held hostage by the pirates. One of the crew members was also injured. It was the Indian Navy's mission deployed platform, which responded to the maritime incident in the Arabian Sea involving the hijacking of the Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen.
The vessel, with 18 crew members onboard, had sent a Mayday message on the UKMTO portal on December 14, indicating boarding by about six unknown personnel. The ship is anchored at the Somalian shore.