Two oil tankers carrying a total of 29 Indian seafarers were targeted in projectile attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on October 29 and 30.
Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday that all 29 Indian seafarers aboard two tankers targeted in separate attacks on October 29 and 30 were safe, with no injuries reported. In a post on X, Sonowal said, “On October 29, Liberia-flagged VLCC MT ARZANAH, carrying 2 Indian nationals, and on Oct 30, Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT LOUISE 1, carrying 27 Indian seafarers, were targeted in projectile attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
“All 29 Indian seafarers across both vessels are completely safe with no injuries,”he said.
The incident took place on Thursday, about 25 nautical miles (46 km) northeast of Khasab in Oman, UKMTO said.
The explosives caused a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabled the vessel, maritime sources said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British navy agency, said the crew was safe and there was no environmental impact. It followed a separate attempt in September in which the devices reportedly failed to detonate, two of the sources said. “The apparent ability of a small craft to approach a transiting tanker, deploy explosive devices and withdraw presents a significant security concern, particularly in the Strait’s congested shipping lanes,” Greece-based maritime risk management group Marisks said in a note on Friday, Reuters reported.
The fire was later extinguished, and the tanker continued towards its next port of call. It did not identify the vessel in its advisory. However, it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.