According to the Ministry of External Affairs, there were a total of 19 crew members on board this ship, out of which 17 are Indian citizens. After the attack, a rescue operation was immediately carried out with the help of Omani authorities and coast guard forces. The injured crew members were safely evacuated from the ship and admitted to Khasab city of Oman for treatment. The Government of India has expressed gratitude to the Oman Administration for this prompt assistance.

India condemned the attack

India has strongly condemned the attack on the commercial ship. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the continuous attacks on ships in the region are a matter of grave concern for India. The MEA said targeting of commercial ships, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must stop. India has appealed to immediately stop such attacks for the sake of peace and stability in the region. India has also sought normalization of shipping and trade through international waterways as soon as possible.

Earlier, a commercial ship coming to India was attacked near Oman.

Earlier, on September 23, the Indian-bound commercial ship MV Cape Dao was attacked near the eastern coast of Oman, in which an Indian sailor died, while 19 other Indian sailors on board the ship were rescued safely. Confirming the incident, the Indian Embassy had said that it is in touch with Omani authorities and is coordinating for the safe repatriation of all Indian sailors. The Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying the targeting of commercial vessels, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must stop and safe and unimpeded navigation and trade in the region must be quickly restored. The Forward Seamen Union of India (FSUI) had identified the deceased as Viper Suraj Yadav, a resident of Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. According to the Union, the ship was attacked by two torpedoes.

At the BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also proposed to create ‘Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network’ to help seafarers in times of crisis. He had said that seafarers play an important role in global trade, hence their safety and help should be given priority during the crisis.