Will track down merchant ship attackers from the depth of the sea: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Mumbai: India will track down those responsible for attacks on merchant navy ships "even from the depths of the sea" and take action against them, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday during the commissioning of INS Imphal, the third of four 'Visakhapatnam-class' warships.
Referring to the recent suspected drone attack on Merchant Vessel (MV) Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea and the attack on 'MV Sai Baba' in the Red Sea, he said India's growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred.
"India has taken the attacks "very seriously" and the Navy has increased its surveillance," Rajnath stated.
He assured that the perpetrators of these attacks will soon be brought to justice and strict action will be taken against them.
“India plays the role of a Net Security Provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region. We will ensure that maritime trade in this region touches greater heights. For this, together with our friendly countries, we will keep the sea lanes secure. We have full confidence in the ability and strength of our Navy,” said Rajnath Singh.
The Defence Minister’s remarks follow the Navy’s confirmation that MV Chem Pluto was attacked by a drone two days ago.
The Indian Navy deployed P-8I long-range patrol aircraft and warships INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast for continued surveillance and to maintain a ‘deterrent presence,’ media reports said.
The vessel was reportedly carrying crude oil to the New Mangalore port from the Al Jubail port in Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday, the Pentagon stated that the ship was struck by "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran."
Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto was struck by a drone 400 km off the Indian coastline. The attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea have increased in the past days.
The drone strike came amid a series of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the Red Sea shipping lane in solidarity with Gaza where Israel and Hamas have been warring since October 7.
After the ship was docked in Mumbai early this morning, an explosive ordnance disposal team of the Navy carried out a detailed inspection of the ship, the NDTV report said.
The ship, with 21 crew members, 20 Indian and one Vietnamese, arrived at the Mumbai port under the protection of the Indian Coast Guard ship Vikram.
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