December 24, 2023 In a shocking incident that unfolded on Saturday, a chemical tanker, the MV Chem Pluto, with around 20 Indian crew members onboard, was struck by a drone off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat, India, in the Arabian Sea. The Pentagon has pointed fingers at Iran, claiming that the drone responsible for the attack was fired from Iranian territory.
The attack occurred around 10 a.m. local time, causing a fire on the Japanese-owned vessel, which was eventually extinguished. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported among the crew. The U.S. military, according to a statement from the Pentagon, is in communication with the vessel as it continues its journey toward a destination in India.
“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran,” a Pentagon spokesperson revealed.
This incident is not isolated but rather underscores escalating regional tensions, reminiscent of the geopolitical unease following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The Iranian government and its allied militant forces in Yemen have been vocal critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, a conflict that has resulted in thousands of Palestinian casualties.
The Pentagon’s statement emphasized that this marks the “seventh Iranian attack on commercial shipping since 2021,” pointing to a pattern of aggression that raises concerns about the safety of shipping lanes in the region.
As of now, there has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone strike. This event occurred amid a series of drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a crucial shipping lane in the Red Sea.
In response to the attack, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard swiftly deployed assets to aid the MV Chem Pluto. The vessel, which was en route from Saudi Arabia’s Jubail port to Mangalore, sustained damage approximately 217 nautical miles from Porbandar.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the crew of 21 confirmed all were safe, and the attack came from an uncrewed aerial system (UAS), causing an explosion and a subsequent fire that disabled the vessel’s power supply.
Late-night updates from the Indian Coast Guard indicated that the MV Chem Pluto is now making its way towards Mumbai, having undertaken damage assessment and repairs on its power generation systems. The vessel is expected to enter Mumbai with an escort from the Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram due to steering issues.
This incident raises significant questions about maritime security in the region, adding complexity to an already tense geopolitical landscape. The international community will be closely monitoring developments and responses in the aftermath of this unprecedented drone attack.
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