A day after the merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto reached Mumbai port, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that the Indian Government has taken serious cognizance of the recent attacks on it and another ship MV Sai Baba. He emphasised that strict action will be taken against those behind the attacks, even locating them from the “depths of the seas.”

Speaking after the commissioning of the stealth guided missile destroyer INS Imphal in Mumbai, Rajnath also stated that India has intensified patrolling of the seas following the recent attacks on merchant navy ships. “The Indian Government has taken the drone attack on MV Chem Pluto and the attack on MV Sai Baba in the Red Sea seriously. We will find those who executed the recent attacks on merchant navy ships, even from the depths of the seas, and take strict action against them,” the Defence Minister said.

MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was struck by a drone about 217 nautical miles from Porbandar in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, prompting both the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard to deploy several assets to provide assistance to the ship.

A Gabon-flagged commercial crude oil tanker with 25 Indian crew members reportedly came under a drone attack in the Southern Red Sea. Indian officials later clarified that the commercial oil tanker was not an Indian-flagged vessel.

Meanwhile, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar mentioned that four warships have been deployed to counter piracy and drone attacks on merchant ships. He stated that P-8I aircraft, Dorniers, Sea Guardians, helicopters, and Coast Guard ships have all been deployed jointly to counter the threats of piracy and drone attacks.

On Monday, the Navy revealed that, after the oil tanker MV Chem Pluto reached Mumbai, analysis of the area of the attack and debris found on the ship pointed towards a drone attack. However, further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of the attack, including the type and amount of explosive used.

A Joint Investigation by various agencies has commenced upon completion of the analysis by the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Team. MV Chem Pluto has been cleared for further operation by her company-in-charge in Mumbai.

The ship is scheduled to undergo mandatory checks by various inspecting authorities before undertaking Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfer of cargo. This is likely to be followed by docking and repairs of the damaged portion of MV Chem Pluto.

Considering the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata (Guided Missile Destroyers) in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence.

Long-range maritime reconnaissance P8I aircraft are being regularly tasked to maintain domain awareness.

The Western Naval Command’s Maritime Operations Centre is actively monitoring the situation in close coordination with the Coast Guard and all concerned agencies.