India Deploys Three Warships To Counter Attacks In Arabian Sea To Maintain "Deterrent Presence" (image: X @Vivek Singh)

On Monday, the Indian Navy explosive ordinance disposal team carried out a detailed inspection of the merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto on its arrival in Mumbai. The vessel was hit by a drone off India’s west coast in the Arabian Sea while it was on its way to the Mangalore port from Saudi Arabia. Media report says, the Navy deployed P-18 long range patrol aircraft for surveillance in the region. It also said that warship INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the Arabian Sea to maintain “deterrent presence”. The movie in view of the spate of the attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea.

The drone on the Liberian-flagged, Japan owned MV Chem Pluto on Saturday came amid the increasing concerns over the commercial vessels being targeted by the Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Houthis said the attack will not stop until Israel stop the genocide in Gaza.

The MV Chem Pluto anchored at the outer anchorage of Mumbai at 3:30 pm. The crew members of the vessel included 21 Indians and one Vietnamese. “The analysis of the area of attack and debris found on the ship points towards a drone attack”, said a Navy spokesperson, as quoted by NDTV. He said “further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack including type and amount of explosive used”.

A day after the vessel was hit, US Department of Defence, Pentagon said the attack was a “one way attack drone fired from Iran”. Indian Navy spokesperson said ghat by the completion of the analysis of the vessel by the explosive ordinance, a joint investigation by various agencies followed. After the investigations, ship to ship transfer of cargo will take place, which will be followed by docking and repairs if the damaged portion of the vessel, said the Navy spokesperson.