INS Chennai – one of the destroyers which reacted to the attack ICGS Vikram – the patrol ship which aided the tankerSensor operators on an Indian P-8I – the type of aircraft patrolling the area
On 23 December 2023, the tankerChem Pluto was struck by an anti-ship missile or drone while it was carrying oil from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to New Mangalore Port, India. The strike happened at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT) when the ship was about 200 miles (320 km) south-west of Veraval.
Events
The missile hit the poop deck and penetrated the hull, causing internal damage, a fire and power failure. There were no casualties in the mostly Indian crew of 22 who were able to control the fire, restore power and get the ship under way again.
The ship is owned by a Japanese company, Rio Brillante, and operated by Ace Quantum Chemical Tankers which is based in the Netherlands and associated with the Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. The ship was registered in Monrovia to give it a Liberian flag of convenience.
Reaction
The ship docked in Mumbai on Christmas Day for repairs and forensic investigation. The initial investigations were made by the Indian Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and subsequent analysis by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Pune. Fragments recovered from the ship indicated that the missile may have been a HESA Shahed 136 drone. Two Iranian vessels near the attack were boarded and searched by the Indian Navy – bulk carrier Artenos and general cargo ship Saviz – but no evidence of involvement was found.
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