US Official Alleges Iranian Drone Attack

News Desk

Islamabad: A US Department of Defense official on Saturday claimed that a chemical tanker operating in the Indian Ocean was struck by an Iranian drone.

In a statement, it was reported that the motor vessel CHEM PLUTO—a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated tanker—was hit around 10 am local time, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. The strike was attributed to an attack drone fired from Iran.

CNN reports that a one-way attack drone is specifically engineered to impact its target without returning to its origin. The defense official confirmed, “There were no casualties, and the fire on board the tanker has been extinguished.”

The statement clarified, “No US Navy vessels were in the vicinity.” Additionally, Naval Forces Central Command is in communication with the affected vessel.

The Indian coast guard shared on social media that there are 21 crew members on board and mentioned, “The vessel has commenced its journey towards Mumbai.”