NEW DELHI, June 11: India on Thursday said three merchant ships with Indian crew members came under attack from American military off the coast of Oman in the last four days resulting in the death of three nationals and it has lodged a strong protest with the US over the strikes.
It was New Delhi’s first public acknowledgement that US Navy targeted the three ships with Indian crew members. New Delhi asserted that these attacks must stop.
A Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces on June 8. All crew members were safely rescued.
On June 10, US struck another Palau-flagged tanker Settebello, killing three out of the 24 Indian sailors on board. Another vessel ‘Jalveer’, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indians, was attacked on Thursday.
Following the attack on Settebello on Wednesday that killed three Indians, the MEA summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks and he was handed a demarche or diplomatic note of protest.
“We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community. When this particular attack on the ship Settebello occurred, we lodged a strong protest with the American side,” Jaiswal said.
“We summoned the US Charge d’Affaires and he was conveyed our deepest concern over the ongoing incidents of attacks. We also registered our strong protest,” he said.
Jaiswal emphasised that these attacks “must stop”.
“We further conveyed that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and that there should be unimpeded access through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law,” he said.
US Central Command (Centcom) has confirmed strikes on Settebello and Marivex but is yet to comment on reported strikes on Jalveer.
Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said evacuation of the seafarers on Jalveer has commenced.
From Settebello, all the remaining 25 crew members including 21 Indians, two Pakistani, one Russian and one Ukranian have been safely evacuated, he said, adding the Seamen Welfare Fund Society has been asked to pay Rs 10 lakh to family of each deceased. (PTI)
