A drone struck the Israeli-bound Liberian-flagged oil tanker MT Chem Pluto, according to British companies, in the Indian Ocean on Saturday and caused a fire that caused damage on board, but no one was injured. , an instant unsolicited attack, News.ro reports with reference to AFP.

Oil tankerPhoto: TJ Alex / Alamy / Profimedia Images

According to the British Maritime Safety Society UKMTO, the fire was extinguished quickly.

The British company Ambrey announced that the “Liberian-flagged tanker was linked to Israel” and was on its way from Saudi Arabia to India.

Both agencies said the attack took place 370 kilometers southwest of Veraval in India.

The Indian Navy announced that it had responded to the request for assistance.

“An aircraft was sent to the scene, which arrived at the ship and established the safety of the ship and its crew,” a representative of the Indian Navy told AFP.

“A warship of the Indian Navy has been dispatched to the site to provide the necessary assistance,” he added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but it followed a series of drone and missile attacks in recent weeks by Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane amid the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

The United States has accused Iran of carrying out attacks near its waters.

Last month, an Israeli cargo ship was damaged in an alleged drone attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Indian Ocean, a US official charged, AFP reported, citing News.ro.