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NEW DELHI (Reuters) – An Israeli-affiliated merchant ship was struck by a drone off India’s west coast, causing a fire, British maritime security company Ambrey said on Saturday.
It is the first known attack of its type away from the Red Sea since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The fire, which broke out on the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, was extinguished and caused no casualties.
The incident occurred 200 km southwest of Veraval, India and structural damage was also reported and water leaked on board.
“Merchant ships are advised that these types of attacks generally target vessels affiliated with Israel, but there have been instances in the past where vessels previously affiliated with Israel have been hit by mistake,” the security company said.
An Indian navy official told Reuters they responded to a request for assistance on Saturday morning.
“The safety of the crew and the ship has been ensured. The navy has also sent a warship to the area to provide necessary assistance,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
According to the Indian news agency Ani, a partner of Reuters, the affected ship was the MV Chem Pluto which was transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia.
The tanker had a crew of around 20 Indian nationals on board, Ani reported, citing Indian defense sources.
(Report by Arpan Chaturvedi and Krishn Kaushik, French version by Kate Entringer)
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