Attacks on ships in Hormuz, now India takes strict action; Summons sent to American diplomat

India Summons US Diplomat: India on Friday summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time this week. This happened when another merchant ship carrying 20 Indian crew members was attacked off the coast of Oman. This is the third such incident with Indian sailors in just four days. The US diplomat was summoned by the Additional Secretary (US) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as New Delhi stepped up its diplomatic response to the growing threat to commercial shipping in the Gulf region.

The fresh summons comes hours after the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) issued a new maritime security advisory for around 18,000 Indian sailors operating in the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters following a series of attacks on merchant ships.

3 Indian sailors killed in attack

This advisory has been issued after three such incidents recently, in which ships with Indian crew members were involved. These include a deadly attack off the Omani coast, in which three Indian sailors lost their lives. The first incident involved MT Marivaux on 8 June, when the tanker caught fire in what maritime security sources described as a suspected attack. All 24 Indian crew members on board the ship were said to be safe.

The second attack occurred on 10 June, when MT Setebello gulf of oman I caught fire. There were 24 Indian crew members on board the tanker. 21 sailors were rescued, but three Indians who were initially reported missing were later confirmed dead. The third incident occurred on Thursday, when another merchant ship carrying an Indian crew member was attacked off the coast of Oman, further raising concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region.

Identified as MT Jalveer

Multiple reports identified the ship as MT Jalveer, carrying 20 people. Indian crew member Were riding. However, the officials have not yet revealed the exact reason for the incident. According to official estimates, 622 Indian sailors on 13 Indian-flagged ships are currently serving in the waters west and east of the Strait of Hormuz.

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Nearly 18,000 Indian nationals are working on hundreds of foreign-flagged merchant ships across the Gulf region, making India one of the countries most affected by the deteriorating maritime security situation. India has the world’s second largest maritime workforce, with approximately 3.2 lakh Indian seafarers serving on ships across the world.