An Israel-affiliated merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea off India’s west coast was struck by an unmanned drone, causing a fire, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Saturday.
The fire on the Liberian-flagged chemical products tanker was extinguished without crew casualties in the incident 200 km southwest of Veraval, India, it said.
“Some structural damage was also reported and some water was taken onboard. The vessel was Israel-affiliated. She had last called Saudi Arabia and was destined for India at the time,” the firm said on its website.
It said the Indian navy was responding. The navy did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
The incident follows drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthis, who say they are supporting Palestinians under siege by Israel in the Gaza Strip, on commercial shipping, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.
Meanwhile, another vessel has been hijacked near the coast of Somalia, a British sea trade monitoring agency said Friday, raising more concerns that Somali pirates are active again, nearly a decade after they caused chaos for international shipping.
A dhow trading vessel was seized by heavily armed people near the town of Eyl off the coast of Somalia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. It cited military authorities as the source of the information.
The agency did not offer any details on who the hijackers were but said an investigation is underway.
The European Union’s Naval Force reported that a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel was hijacked in the nearby Arabian Sea last week and moved to the same area off Somalia’s coast. The bulk carrier Ruen had 18 crew onboard when it was hijacked near the Yemeni island of Socotra, around 240 kilometers off Somalia.
One crew member was evacuated to an Indian navy ship for medical care, the EU Naval Force said.—Reuters/ AP
