NEW DELHI: Four days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the rising maritime threats as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a suspected drone strike caused an explosion aboard a Mangalore-bound merchant ship with around 21 Indian crew about 200 nautical miles off the coast of Gujarat’s Veraval.
The ship had set sail from Saudi Arabia, carrying crude oil, and was heading towards Mangalore. It was sailing under the flag of Liberia.
The attack was first reported by the British watchdog, United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO).
“UKMTO has received a report of an attack by uncrewed aerial system (UAS) on a vessel causing an explosion and fire. Fire was extinguished and no casualties were reported. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity,” UKMTO said in a statement.
The incident comes in the wake of Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen stepping up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. The US has since initiated a multilateral coalition to provide protection to cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Saturday’s attack is viewed as having links to the Red Sea attacks. Though the distance between Red Sea and Veraval is 3,315 km, reports suggest the attackers could have taken this ship to have an Israeli connect, even though the ship was carrying the flag of Liberia.
“This appears to be a spillover of the Red Sea conflict and since it’s so close to India. The Indian crew members narrowly escaped. It is a major cause of concern,’’ a source said.
Reacting swiftly, the Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram, which was on patrol duty in the Arabian Sea was dispatched to the site to provide assistance.
A P-8I maritime patrol aircraft was also deployed. “The situation will be assessed and relevant steps will be taken. As per the initial information, it is suspected to be a drone-based attack,” a source said.
No crew members have been injured in the incident, which led to a fire on board. The attacked vessel is being towed away to Mumbai, where it is expected to reach on Monday.
INCREASE IN MARITIME THREATS, SAYS IFC-IOR
The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), a maritime security centre hosted by the Indian Navy said there has been an increase in maritime security threats over the past one week. Houthis have pledged to continue attacks till Israel stops its war in Gaza