"Will Find Them Even From Depth Of Seas": Rajnath Singh On Ship Attackers

India will track down those behind recent attacks on Merchant Navy ships, "even from the depths of the sea", and take strict action against them, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday.

Mr Singh's comment came shortly after the Navy confirmed Merchant Vessel, or MV, Chem Pluto was struck, two days ago, by a drone. The attack, which took place some 400 km off India's west coast, was one of several drone and missile strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been targeting the vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

The ship and its 21 crew, including a Vietnamese national, docked at Mumbai this morning, after which the Navy's explosive ordnance team carried out an inspection. Images showed damage to the stern (rear) from a possible aerial attack but a forensic analysis is required to establish the details.