Three Indian sailors killed in US attack off Oman; third incident this week

Three Indian sailors are confirmed killed as the country reports a separate incident involving a vessel ⁠⁠off Shinas port in Oman, the third attack linked to the United States this week.

The latest maritime incident against Guinea-Bissau flagged MT Jalveer came the day after the US military fired on a Palau-flagged MT Settebello, also off the coast of Oman.

Settebello had 24 Indian sailors on board; three who were reported missing on Wednesday were confirmed killed on Thursday.

The US attacks on vessels with Indian seafarers come at a time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral ‌‌talks with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit next week.

“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello,” India’s Shipping Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the strike on Wednesday.

“Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” he said.

“I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,” he added.

Quoting Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), Indian news outlet The Hindu reported that the deceased include deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and Chief Engineer Patnala Suresh.

India’s foreign ministry summoned a top US diplomat in New Delhi after the Settebello attack on Wednesday to lodge “a strong protest”.

The US military earlier said ⁠⁠it attacked the Marivex and Settebello, both tankers with Indian crew.

All crew safe in latest incident

On Thursday, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that the Guinea-Bissau flagged Jalveer was attacked ‌‌by the US Navy. Soon after the US ⁠military ⁠confirmed it had disabled a third oil ⁠tanker in the Gulf of Oman overnight .

“US Central Command (CENTCOM) acted against Guinea-Bissau flagged M/T Jalveer as ⁠it attempted to ⁠transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman. A US ⁠aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles ⁠into the ship’s ⁠engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions ‌from US forces,” CENTCOM said in a ‌statement.

The vessel’s crew sent a distress call off the Omani port ⁠⁠of Shinas after a fire broke out around its engine room and funnel, said Vanguard, a British maritime risk management company.

All 20 Indians on board are safe and the crew were being evacuated, an Indian shipping ministry official said.

Images posted on social media by the FSUI showed crew members being winched from the vessel by helicopter as thick black smoke billowed from its bridge and accommodation cabins.

The Indian embassy in Oman said it was aware of Thursday’s incident and that it was coordinating with local authorities.

The fragile ceasefire in the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran has come under even greater pressure with a “low intensity conflict” over the last few days, said Torbjorn Soltved, an analyst at the global risk intelligence firm, Verisk Maplecroft.

“The main problem at the moment is that both sides are trying to negotiate from a position of strength,” Soltved told Al Jazeera.

The US feels it can ramp up pressure on Iran and negotiate from a stronger position if they wait, he said.

Iran believes that when it applies pressure to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, that is increasing the pressure on the global economy and they can also hold out for a better deal, Soltved added.

CENTCOM had said it disabled the Palau-flagged tankers Settebello and Marivex for violating the ongoing US blockade against Iran. While Settebello was attempting to transport ‌‌oil ‌‌from Iran, the Marivex was trying to sail to an Iranian port, according to the US military.

On June 8, Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors off the Marivex after the US attack on the tanker.