"Deeply Worrisome, Must End Immediately": India Condemns Attacks On Ships

India has strongly condemned the attacks on tankers manned by Indian seafarers in the Gulf in the last few days. Terming the attacks "deeply worrisome", External Affairs Ministry on Thursday called for an immediate end to such attacks. 

Three Indian seafarers, initially reported missing, have died after a vessel was attacked by US forces off the coast of Oman earlier this week.

"There have been several incidents involving Indian seafarers in West Asia in the last few days. We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafarers' community. We need not re-emphasise this point," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.

"Yesterday, we condemned the attack on a ship off the coast of Oman in which, unfortunately, we lost three Indian nationals. We had summoned the US CDA here to register a strong protest. We expect the US to take due note of our potest," Jaiswal added. 

Calling attacks direct result of the conflict in the region, India has called for these attacks to end and dialogue to take precedence. "The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. These attacks must cease and end. We also call for dialogue and diplomacy so that we can have an early return to peace and stability in the region," Jaiswal said. 

Additional Secretary in Shipping Ministry, Mukesh Mangal, giving details of the attacks, informed that three vessels with Indian sailors on board have been attacked since Monday, June 8.

According to the government, a fire was reported on vessel Marivex on Monday. All 24 Indian crew on board were safely rescued. Then on Wednesday, vessel MT Settebello was attacked, 24 Indian sailors were on. Of these, 3 Indian sailors lost their lives while 21 were safely evacuated. In the latest attack on Thursday, MT Jalveer was hit. All 20 Indian seafarers on board the vessel are safe. 

Mangal further informed that there are 13 Indian flagged vessels in Strait of Hormuz currently with 562 Indian seafarers on board these vessels.

Earlier Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed the death of three Indian seafarers in the US attack on a vessel off the coast of Oman earlier this week. Calling it a "tragic" loss, the minister said the bodies of all three missing sailors have been recovered.

The three killed India seafarers have been identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker, the Settebello, had a total crew of 28 members, including 24 Indian nationals and four foreign nationals-- two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian-- when it came under the US military's attack in the Gulf of Oman. The US military said it attacked the vessel after it allegedly failed to follow its instructions and was carrying oil from Iran.

India had summoned Washington's charge d'affaires in New Delhi to lodge a "strong protest" over the attack and issued a demarche.