Two Indian sailors missing after vessel attacked off Oman

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Two Indian sailors were missing after a commercial vessel was hit by a "drone attack" Sunday off the coast of Oman, New Delhi's shipping minister said. Shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the tanker MT Petro Dolphin, with 11 Indian seafarers on board, was attacked at the anchorage area for the port of Sohar in northern Oman. "While nine of our Indian crew members have been successfully rescued and are safe, two Indian nationals currently remain missing," he said on X. Sonowal said search and rescue operations by local authorities was underway. "We are continuously coordinating with all relevant authorities to fully support the ongoing rescue efforts and ensure every possible action is taken to safely locate our missing personnel," he said. Sonowal also said the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker M/T Valthera, carrying 11 Indian crew, was struck Sunday by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. A fire was sparked, but all Indian crew were reported to be safe. India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to the shipping ministry. Several of its mariners have been killed in attacks in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. On Tuesday, India's foreign ministry condemned the attack on a Panama-flagged vessel that was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The "continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern," the ministry said. "We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region."