The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday, May 14, condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman, describing the incident as “unacceptable” and expressing concern over continued threats to commercial shipping in the region.
In an official statement, the MEA said all Indian crew members aboard the vessel were safe and thanked the Omani authorities for carrying out rescue operations.
“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the MEA spokesperson said.
“All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them,” the statement added.
India Calls for Protection of Commercial Shipping
India reiterated its stand against attacks on merchant vessels and disruptions to maritime trade routes, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, which remains one of the world’s key energy shipping corridors.
Despite the ongoing security situation in the region, several India-bound LPG tankers have continued to transit through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. According to officials, two foreign-flagged LPG carriers carrying cooking gas for India recently completed their passage through the strait.
One of the vessels, the Marshall Islands-flagged Symi, carrying around 20,000 tonnes of liquid propane and butane, is heading towards Deen Dayal Port in Kandla. The ship reportedly has a crew comprising eight Ukrainians and 13 Filipinos.
Another vessel, the Vietnam-flagged NV Sunshine, completed its transit on Thursday morning and is proceeding towards New Mangalore port with an LPG cargo.
Officials said ship movements in the area are being closely coordinated by India’s Directorate General of Shipping along with the ministries of external affairs, defence, and petroleum and natural gas. According to the government, 13 India-flagged ships are currently in the Persian Gulf awaiting passage through the conflict-affected route.
“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the MEA said. The incident comes amid rising tensions in West Asia and ongoing disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.