India dispatched its warships in the Arabian Sea on Saturday after a merchant vessel reported an explosion and fire incident suspected to be caused by a drone attack. It occurred 217 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast, Gujarat.

Preliminary reports stated the fire was extinguished, and no crew members, including the 20 Indians on board, suffered injuries. The vessel MV Chem Pluto is carrying crude oil and was en route from a port in Saudi Arabia to Mangaluru. Reports also mentioned that the fire has affected the functioning of the merchant vessel.

In response to the incident, the Indian Coast Guard ship Vikram is moving towards the vessel. The Coast Guard ship Vikram was deployed on the patrol of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) when it was directed towards the distressed merchant ship. Vikram has also alerted all ships in the area to provide assistance to the merchant vessel.

Indian Navy warships in the vicinity are also moving towards the merchant ship, which is reportedly Liberian-flagged and Israeli-affiliated.

The Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft managed to establish communication with the distressed vessel after taking off from INS Hansa naval air base in Goa. The Indian Navy warship is moving towards the vessel and is expected to reach the merchant ship in the next few hours, as per the latest information.

The suspected drone attack comes in the backdrop of missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea by Houthis, reportedly backed by Iran. The Houthis claim they are in support of Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Incidentally, on Monday, the Indian Navy assisted in the evacuation of an injured sailor from a hijacked Malta-flagged cargo vessel. Six pirates had reportedly boarded the ship, the MV Ruen, in the Arabian Sea.