A merchant vessel carrying Indian crew members has been targeted near Oman’s Shinas port, the Indian embassy in Oman said, in what would be the third attack in recent days amid simmering tensions in the Gulf region.
“We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details," the Indian embassy said on X. The embassy later confirmed that evacuation of crew is being coordinated with assistance from Royal Navy of Oman and would be completed soon.
The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) shared visuals of MT Jalveer, which was reportedly carrying 20 Indian crew members. It is unclear how many crew members were onboard during the incident.
The Hindustan Times reported that all crew members of the merchant vessel are safe so far. According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, five of the 20 crew members were rescued by passing vehicles and taken to Oman.
There is no official confirmation that MT Jalveer is an Indian ship, although Indian nationals are believed to be part of its crew.
This is the third reported instance of a vessel with an Indian crew this week, after two oil tankers came under attack by US forces off the Omani coast.
The last incident involved the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello, which was struck by a missile while operating off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman. Three Indian seafarers were killed, while 21 others were rescued from the ship after a fire was reported on board.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed the deaths of three Indians, describing the incident as a “profound loss" for India’s maritime community.
The United States has said its military carried out a “precision" strike on the vessel after it allegedly failed to follow instructions and was carrying oil from Iran. The US military released a video capturing the moment when it struck the tanker.
The incident took place just a day after the US military confirmed an attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman carrying 24 Indian crew members aboard. The MT Marivex, a Palau-flagged vessel, was operating in waters close to the strategically important Strait of Hormuz when it was hit by a projectile off the Omani coast. The crew were evacuated after the fire was reported.
