India bolsters Arabian Sea forces after shipping attacks
India bolsters Arabian Sea forces after shipping attacks
MUMBAI: India’s navy said it is deploying three warships and reconnaissance aircraft in the Arabian Sea to “maintain a deterrent presence” after a string of recent shipping attacks.
Three guided-missile destroyers as well as P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft were being deployed following “the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea”, it said in a statement late Monday.
Washington accused Tehran of carrying out a drone attack on Saturday on the MV Chem Pluto tanker 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) off the coast of India, claims Iran’s foreign ministry dubbed “worthless”.
It was the first time Washington has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel’s war on the Palestinian group Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.
The Liberian-flagged and Japanese-owned MV Chem Pluto was moored off India’s port of Mumbai on Monday.
“Analysis of the area of attack and debris found on the ship points towards a drone attack,” India’s navy said, adding “further forensic and technical analysis will be required”.
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