Vessel attacked off Oman coast: one crew member missing
Off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, 13 crew members were rescued after an attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia, while one other is missing. There were 14 Indian citizens on board during the incident, Anadolu Agency reports.
Search and rescue operation
India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack on MT El Gaia. The ministry said that the Indian embassy in Oman is monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities as part of the search and rescue operation.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs thanked Omani authorities for their assistance in rescuing Indian citizens. New Delhi also called for the immediate de-escalation of tensions, dialogue and diplomacy to establish peace in the region.
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UKMTO report
Early on September 13, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unidentified projectile. At the time of the report, the service had no information about the condition of the crew, the extent of damage, or the possible environmental impact of the incident.
UKMTO said the investigation is ongoing and advised vessels to exercise caution and report suspicious activity. India’s Ministry of External Affairs described attacks on commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure as unacceptable and called for the restoration of safe and free navigation through the region’s international waterways.
According to the agency, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains significantly below the level before the start of the US-Iran war in February due to security risks and attacks on commercial vessels in regional waters.
