WASHINGTON, Dec 24, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck Saturday off the coast of India was targeted by a drone "fired from Iran," the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea. The US military "remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India," it added. The drone strike occurred 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of India, it said, adding that no US Navy vessels were in the vicinity. Ambrey, a maritime security firm, said the "chemical/products tanker... was Israel-affiliated" and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India. Last month, an Israeli-owned cargo ship was hit in a suspected drone attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, according to a US official.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha December 24, 2023 15:11 UTC