India Vows 'Strict Action' For Attacks On Indian-Crewed Vessels

Indian Navy officers stand on the flight deck of India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a shipyard in Kochi, September 2022.
Indian Navy officers stand on the flight deck of India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a shipyard in Kochi, September 2022.

Officials in New Delhi have pledged to hold accountable those responsible for the recent attacks on two merchant vessels predominantly crewed by Indians.

The commitment comes in the midst of ongoing missile and drone strikes in the Red Sea, attributed to Houthi rebels and Iran.

India's response to the incidents in the Red and Arabian Seas, particularly the attacks on MV Sai Baba and MV Chem Pluto follows the incident on the MV Chem Pluto which was targeted by a one-way attack drone a mere 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast. While the Pentagon attributes the attack to Iran, deviating from the majority of strikes originating in Yemen, India has refrained from officially naming the perpetrator.

During the commissioning ceremony of INS Imphal (D68), the third destroyer in the Indian Navy's Visakhapatnam class, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, India's Defense Minister, declared a commitment to retaliatory measures. "Those who have carried out these attacks, we will find them from the bottom of the sea, and strict action will be taken against them," stated Shri Rajnath Singh.

The defense minister emphasized India's role as the "Net Security Provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region" and its commitment to keeping sea lanes open to facilitate expanded regional trade in collaboration with international partners. Singh also attributed the attacks to India's "growing economic and strategic power," suggesting that it has fueled "jealousy and animosity" in certain quarters.