Two Indian sailors missing after vessel attacked off Oman

Two Indian sailors are unaccounted for following an attack on a commercial tanker off the northern coast of Oman, Indian authorities announced.

According to Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the vessel Petro Dolphin came under a drone strike on October 11 while positioned in the anchorage zone outside the port of Sohar. The tanker had a total of 11 Indian crew members on board at the time of the incident.

Sonowal stated on social media platform X that nine of the Indian mariners were safely rescued, but two remain unaccounted for. He noted that regional emergency teams are carrying out search and rescue missions to track down the missing personnel, adding that Indian officials are maintaining constant contact with local authorities to assist in the efforts.

The incident was part of a broader wave of maritime disruption in the region on the same day. Sonowal disclosed that another vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Valthera, was struck by an airborne projectile inside the Strait of Hormuz on October 11. Although the impact triggered a fire aboard the ship, all 11 Indian nationals serving on its crew survived without reported harm.

These confrontations come amid escalating perils for commercial transport in crucial Middle Eastern waterways. Regional waters have seen increased danger since late February, when military operations were initiated against Iran by the United States and Israel, leading to multiple incidents targeting commercial tankers.

Prior to the strikes on October 11, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs denounced an earlier hit on a Panama-flagged ship navigating through the Strait of Hormuz on October 6. In a statement addressing the previous assault, ministry officials described the persistent regional attacks on commercial vessels as deeply troubling and renewed pleas for an end to maritime strikes to restore regional balance.

India plays a vital role in global merchant operations, maintaining a substantial maritime workforce. Government figures indicate that more than 320,000 active Indian mariners served on international vessels in 2025, leaving a large contingent of its citizens vulnerable to disruptions along critical trade routes.