In the wake of suspected attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Navy has launched “Operation Sankalp” in the region to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area.
The Navy has deployed stealth guided missile destroyers INS Chennai and patrol vessel INS Sunayna in the region for maritime security operations. Besides, aerial surveillance by naval aircraft was also being undertaken.
The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, set up in Gurgaon by the Indian Navy in December 2018, was also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region, according to a report in IANS.
The United States had accused Iran of carrying out the attacks.
All crew members of both the ships were evacuated and were reported to be safe.
According to reports, the tankers were struck in the same area where the US accused Iran of using naval mines to sabotage four other oil ships in an attack last month.
However, Iran has dismissed all allegations in the attack on the two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, calling them ‘baseless’.
The incident comes amid the rising tensions between the US and Iran.Washington withdrew from the Iranian international nuclear deal in mid-2018 and re-imposed full sanctions on Iran’s oil exports.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Pentagon claimed that one of its reconnaissance drones was shot down by a missile fired from Iran.