MUMBAI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Tuesday that the Indian government has taken the recent attacks on the merchant navy ships MV Chem Pluto and MV Sai Baba seriously and will take strict action against those responsible, even if they are located in the “depths of seas.” Following the recent attacks on merchant navy ships, Singh stated that India has increased sea patrols following the commissioning of the stealth guided missile destroyer INS Imphal. The drone attacks on the MV Saibaba and MV Chem Pluto in the Red Sea have been taken seriously by the Indian government.Even from the depths of the ocean, we will track down and punish those responsible for the recent attacks on merchant navy ships, Singh vowed. After a drone struck the MV Chem Pluto, which had 21 Indian crew members on board, on Saturday approximately 217 nautical miles off the coast of Porbandar, the Indian Coast Guard and Navy sent out several resources to help the ship. There have been reports of a drone attack in the Southern Red Sea on a commercial crude oil tanker flying the flag of Gabon and carrying 25 Indian crew members. Subsequently, Indian officials made it clear that the commercial oil tanker did not fly the Indian flag. Admiral R Hari Kumar, the head of the Navy, announced that four destroyers have been sent out to combat drone attacks and piracy against merchant ships. He said that in order to combat the threats posed by drone attacks and piracy, the Coast Guard, Dorniers, P-8I aircraft, helicopters, and ships have all been deployed in tandem.
