New Delhi / Muscat, November 3 — An India-flagged cargo vessel, MSV Al Jusufi, was struck by an unidentified aerial object while navigating near the coast of Oman on Monday, November 2, killing one Indian seafarer and leaving the ship damaged, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed. The vessel was carrying 14 Indian crew members at the time of the attack.
Source: The CSR Journal
The seafarer who died was identified by the minister as Gandhar Nahim Ajij, from Gujarat, who succumbed to his injuries after the strike. “I am deeply saddened to report that one of our seafarers, Gandhar Nahim Ajij from Gujarat, tragically succumbed to his injuries,” Sonowal said in his condolence message, extending his sympathies to the family of the deceased sailor.
Source: Inshorts (reporting Minister Sonowal's statement)
The remaining 13 crew members were evacuated safely and rescued by the Omani Coast Guard, according to the reports. The attack caused significant damage to the vessel, which was engaged in routine operations when it came under fire, and local maritime authorities responded swiftly after the strike.
Source: Whalesbook
Government response and repatriation
The Ministry of Shipping and the Indian Embassy in Oman are in contact with local authorities to ensure immediate assistance is provided to the surviving crew members. Efforts are under way to facilitate the swift repatriation of the survivors and of the mortal remains of the deceased seafarer, and the Indian government is monitoring the situation while coordinating with Omani officials on an investigation into the incident.
The latest attack in dangerous waters
The strike on MSV Al Jusufi is the latest in a continuing series of attacks on commercial shipping in and around the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since the US–Israel war on Iran began in late February — the same conflict in which US forces carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the strait on Monday. India supplies one of the world's largest pools of merchant seafarers, and Indian crews are aboard a large share of the vessels still moving through these waters, which is why Indian sailors have repeatedly been among the casualties.
Figures cited in reporting from government statistics indicate that at least 22 Indian nationals have lost their lives since the escalation of military action involving the US and Israel against Iran in February this year, and that 14 of those killed were seafarers. What struck MSV Al Jusufi has not been officially established — the reports describe it only as an unidentified aerial object — and no party has been named as responsible in the reporting so far.
What happens next
Omani and Indian officials are expected to complete the formalities for bringing the 13 surviving crew members home and for returning Gandhar Nahim Ajij's mortal remains to his family in Gujarat. Maritime unions and the shipping community have repeatedly called for stronger protection for seafarers still transiting the Hormuz and Gulf of Oman corridors while the war continues.