India will track down those behind attacks on Merchant Navy ships, "even from the depths of the sea", and take action against them, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday at the commissioning of INS Imphal, the third of four 'Visakhapatnam-class' warships developed and designed by the Navy.
"The government has taken the drone attack on MV Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea, and on MV Sai Baba in the Red Sea, very seriously," he said. "The Navy has increased surveillance... whoever carried out this attack, we will find them even from the seabed. Those behind it will be brought to justice."
India is the "net security provider (for) the entire Indian Ocean region", he said, stressing that the government will "work with friendly nations" and ensure the safety of maritime trade in the region.
The comment came after the Navy confirmed MV Chem Pluto was attacked by a drone two days ago.
A Pentagon spokesperson said Sunday the ship was hit by "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran".
READ | Merchant Ship Was Hit By Drone 400 Km West Of Indian Coast: Navy
The attack - 400 km off India's west coast - was one of several carried out by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been targeting the vital Red Sea shipping lane amid the Israel-Gaza war.
A Liberia-flagged oil tanker, MV Chem Pluto set sail from a port in Saudi Arabia and was headed for Mangaluru in Karnataka when it was attacked. The drone strike caused a fire on board, officials said.
READ | How Coast Guard Responded To SOS From Ship Struck By Drone
The ship and its 21 crew, including a Vietnamese national, docked at Mumbai this morning, after which the Navy's explosive ordnance team carried out an inspection. Images showed damage to the stern (rear) from a possible aerial attack but a forensic analysis is required to establish the details.
READ | India Deploys 3 Warships To Counter Attacks In Arabian Sea
Chem Pluto has been cleared for further operation and will undergo mandatory checks before ship-to-ship transfer of cargo, a Navy official said. This will be followed by docking and repair of damages.
A second oil tanker - the Gabon-registered MV Sai Baba, with 25 Indian crew members on board - was also attacked by a drone in the Southern Red Sea, Indian and American military officials said.
Fortunately, no one was injured. However, to guard against attacks on commercial vessels in the region, three warships - Mormugao, Kochi and Kolkata - have been deployed for a deterrent presence.
With input from agencies
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