“We Will Find Them Even from the Seabed”: India’s Defence Minister Promises Swift Action in Wake of Naval Attacks

Days after drone attacks damaged a commercial ship off India’s coast, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday, “Whoever carried out this attack, we will find them even from the depth of the sea and take strict action against them. He said the Indian government took the recent drone attack on ‘MV Chem Pluto’ in the Arabian Sea and the attack on ‘MV Sai Baba’ in the Red Sea a few days ago “very seriously”.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of ‘INS Imphal’ in Mumbai on Tuesday, Singh said, “India’s growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred.”

He added that India has intensified patrolling of seas after recent attacks on merchant navy ships. “The Indian Navy has increased surveillance of the sea. Whoever has carried out this attack, we will find them even from the seabed and strict action will be taken against them,” the defence minister said.

Singh said that India will ensure maritime trade in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) achieves new heights. “India is in the role of Net Security Provider in the entire IOR/ We will ensure that the maritime trade in this region rises from the sea to the heights of the sky. For this, together with friendly countries, we will keep the Sea Lanes safe and secure for maritime commerce,” the defense minister said.

Singh comments came after the Liberian-flagged and Japanese-owned MV Chem Pluto, with 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew member, caught fire after it was attacked by a suspected drone of India’s coast on December 23. It was later secured by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the ICG said in an official statement.

Elsewhere, in the Red Sea, Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels carried out a string of drone and missile attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas militants. The US Central Command said the vessel, MV Sai Baba, was targeted by a drone launched by Houthi militants in the Southern Red Sea on Saturday, December 23.