New Delhi, Sep 23 India on Wednesday condemned the attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, in which an Indian national was killed, and said targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that of the 20 Indian seafarers on board MV Cape Dao, 19 have been rescued, and the Indian Embassy in Muscat is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities for early repatriation of the Indian seafarers.
“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MV Cape Dao earlier today off the east coast of Oman,” the MEA said in a statement.
“Of the 20 Indian seafarers on board, 19 have been rescued, while one Indian national tragically lost his life. We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” it said.
The Indian Embassy in Oman said on Wednesday that an Indian national was killed in an attack on merchant vessel MV Cape Dao while it was transiting towards India, the MEA added.
The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are “deeply worrisome”, it said.
“We reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and enable early return of peace to the region,” the MEA said.
“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region must be restored at the earliest,” it said.
The embassy said it was closely monitoring the attack and was in coordination with Omani authorities regarding the safety of all crew members on board, including 19 Indian nationals.
“We thank the Omani authorities for their support,” the MEA said.
(PTI News)
