India-bound merchant ship hit by drone strike In Arabian Sea

An India-bound merchant ship was hit by a drone strike that caused an explosion and fire on the vessel in the Arabian Sea, off the Veraval cost, on Saturday. No casualties have been reported.

The vessel, mv Chem Pluto, has a crew of 22 that includes 21 Indians, and a Vietnamese national. 

The Liberian-flagged mv Chem Pluto had set sail from Saudi Arabia and was bound for Mangalore.

An Indian Coast Guard vessel is moving towards the merchant vessel, which is 217 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast, news agency ANI reported.

Coast Guard officials said a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft has established communication with the distressed vessel.

While the attack resulted in a major explosion and caused significant damage to the vessel, there were no casualties, Coast Guard said.

The Indian Navy dispatched a warship to deal with the situation after the Gurgaon-based Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) reported the incident.

The engine of vessel has been incapacitated by the explosion and the Navy hopes to tow the vessel to an Indian port for further investigation and assessment.

The United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) was the first to issue a public alert of the incident.

The drone strike is believed to be a spillover of the Houthi rebels from Yemen targeting ships in the Red Sea, as part of their response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

While major shipping lines have rerouted their vessels amidst Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, it adds significantly to the cost of shipping.