Indian Navy deploys Naval Task Group amid increasing drone attacks in Arabian Sea

Following the continuous incidents of attacks on merchant ships passing through international shipping lanes, the Indian Navy has increased surveillance in the North and Central Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Navy said that Naval Task Group has been deployed to conduct maritime security operations and help merchant ships in case of any attack. The Navy said it is working closely with the Coast Guard to investigate new security threats in the Indian Ocean.

Apart from destroyers and frigates, the Navy has also deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and maritime patrol aircraft.

This move of the Indian Navy comes after a drone attack on a merchant ship MV Chem Pluto, 400 km away from the Indian coast. Meanwhile, the Anti-Explosive Ordnance Team of the Indian Navy conducted a detailed inspection of the Liberian-flagged merchant ship MV Chem Pluto, which faced a drone attack in the Arabian Sea, when it reached Mumbai on Monday.

In view of the recent attacks on commercial ships, the Navy has deployed warships INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata to maintain its deterrent presence in the region. Naval officials said that long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I has also been deployed. The official said that in view of the increasing attacks on commercial ships in the Arabian Sea, three guided missile destroyers have been deployed in the area.

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defense Department, had said that MV Chem Pluto was hit by a "drone attack launched by Iran".

Iran, however, rejected the allegations and said that it had nothing to do with the attacks. There is however renewed tension in the Arabian Sea following the incident.