US CENTCOM Says Drone Was Used In Attack On Mercer Street Vessel In Indian Ocean

(@FahadShabbir)

US CENTCOM Says Drone Was Used in Attack on Mercer Street Vessel in Indian Ocean

The deadly attack on the Japanese-owned Mercer Street merchant vessel in the Indian Ocean is likely to have been carried out by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st July, 2021) The deadly attack on the Japanese-owned Mercer Street merchant vessel in the Indian Ocean is likely to have been carried out by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.

On Friday, Zodiac Maritime operator said that the Japanese-owned ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, adding that the suspected piracy incident left two crew members, citizens of Romania and the UK, dead. Later in the day, the company said that the crew took back control of the ship and the US navy was escorting it.

According to media reports, the vessel could be related to an Israeli billionaire.

"U.S. Navy explosives experts are aboard to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and are prepared to support an investigation into the attack. Initial indications clearly point to a UAV-style attack," CENTCOM said in a press release.

The Japanese vessel is currently being escorted by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Mitscher, the press release read.

There were no US citizens aboard at the time of the attack, the US military added.