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India condemns attack on Panama-flagged vessel off Oman coast after 11 citizens injured
The vessel, MT On Peace, was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday.
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India on Tuesday condemned an attack on a Panama-flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that injured 11 Indian seafarers and emphasised the need to end such attacks for peace and stability in the region.
The vessel, MT On Peace, was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday. Twelve crew members, including 11 Indians, were injured, the external affairs ministry said. The vessel’s crew of 19 included 17 Indians.
“With the assistance of Omani authorities, the injured crew have since been evacuated and are receiving medical treatment in Khasab, Oman. We thank the Omani authorities for their valuable support,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Indian side repeated its call for ending all attacks on merchant vessels in international waterways.
“The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern for India. We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.
“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and navigation and commerce through international waterways must be restored at the earliest,” it said.
Eleven seafarers are among the 17 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict, which was triggered by attacks by Israel and the US on Iran in February. Another five Indian seafarers have died in strikes on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.
