CHEM PLUTO – DEFENCE
News: Drone
attack on a chemical tanker off Gujarat coast
What's in the news?
● Chemical
tanker MV Chem Pluto was
hit by a drone strike roughly 200 nautical
miles (370 km) off the coast of Gujarat, just outside the Indian Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ).
Key takeaways:
● According
to experts, the drone attack was an extension of the crisis in the Red Sea
since the vessel’s operator was linked to an Israeli businessman,
● The
vessel was escorted to Mumbai by the ICGS
Vikram.
Similar attack:
● The
Gabon-flagged crude oil tanker M.V. SAI BABA was reported to have been hit by a
drone attack in the Southern Red Sea.
Crisis in the Red Sea:
● Houthi Involvement:
The Houthis, engaged in a long-standing conflict with Yemen's official
government, have targeted Israel-associated ships in response to Israel's
actions in Gaza. This represents an extension of the Gaza conflict.
● Proxy War Dynamics:
Experts view the Yemeni Civil War as a proxy war between Iran, supporting the
Houthis, and Saudi Arabia and Western nations backing Yemen's official
government.
Go
back to basics:
Multinational Security
Initiative:
● The
US announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational security initiative
involving various countries to safeguard merchant vessels and counter Houthi
attacks in the region.