New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday raised concerns about an Indian flagged ship being attacked off the coast of Oman on Wednesday. Calling it ‘unacceptable’, MEA in a statement said, “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.”
Expressing gratitude to the Omani authorities, MEA in the statement also mentioned that all crew on board the ship was safely evacuated.
“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the ministry said re-iteraring its stance on maritime incidents.
The attack comes as Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Delhi to participate in the BRICS foreign ministers scheduled Thursday and Friday.
Earlier in the day, a maritime incident with a separate vessel was reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident occured around 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah in the UAE.
The vessel’s Security Officer reported that the ship had been boarded and taken over by “unauthorized personnel” while anchored, and was later heading towards Iranian territorial waters signaling a hijack,