Drone strike hits ship off India's coast: maritime agencies
A drone strike damaged a merchant ship off the coast of India, causing a fire but no casualties, according to two maritime agencies. One agency reported that the vessel was linked to Israel, identified as a Liberia-flagged chemical/products tanker en route from Saudi Arabia to India.
- Asia
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 02:04 | 23 December 2023
- Modified Date: 02:04 | 23 December 2023
A drone strike damaged a merchant ship off the coast of India on Saturday but caused no casualties, two maritime agencies said, with one reporting the vessel was linked to Israel.
The attack caused a fire on board, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, or UKMTO.
Ambrey, a maritime security firm, said the "Liberia-flagged chemical/products tanker... was Israel-affiliated" and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India.
Both agencies said the attack occurred 200 nautical miles southwest of Veraval, India.
UKMTO said the "authorities were investigating", and noted the fire had been extinguished. Ambrey said the Indian navy was responding.
There was no immediate claim of responsiblity for the strike which came amid a flurry of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels on a vital shipping lane in the Red Sea.