NEW DELHI (Portal) – India's navy will deploy guided-missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea after an Israeli-linked merchant ship was attacked off the Indian coast over the weekend to “maintain a deterrent presence”, it said later on Monday.
The Indian Navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the ship MV Chem Pluto, which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports suggested a drone attack, the statement said.
“Further forensic and technical analysis will be required to determine the attack vector, including the type and quantity of explosives used,” the statement continued.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday described as “baseless” the US claim that Iran attacked the ship near India.
The Pentagon said Saturday that a drone launched by Iran hit the ship Chem Pluto in the Indian Ocean. The attack came as a U.S.-led task force sought to address similar challenges in the Red Sea.
“In view of the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed guided missile destroyers, INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata, in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence,” the Navy statement said.
The Navy said a joint investigation into the attack would be conducted by various agencies after its ordnance team completes its analysis.
The ship's crew included 21 Indians and one Vietnamese citizen.
(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Jamie Freed)