‘Unacceptable; we deplore the fact…’: MEA responds to attack on Indian-flagged merchant ship off Oman coast
The vessel involved was the Indian dhow MSV Haji Ali, a mechanised sailing vessel travelling from Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE.
- May 15, 2026,
- Updated May 15, 2026 9:28 AM IST
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, calling the targeting of civilian shipping and mariners “unacceptable”. It said all 14 crew members on board were safe and had been rescued by the Omani authorities.
The attack took place on Wednesday and the perpetrators were not immediately known. “The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” said the MEA.
The vessel involved was the Indian dhow MSV Haji Ali, a mechanised sailing vessel travelling from Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE. It reportedly came under attack in Omani waters in the early hours of May 13. The strike caused a fire on board and the vessel later sank.
All 14 crew members were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and taken to Dibba port in Oman. The crew members are reported to be safe and the required formalities with local authorities have been completed.
The government said it remained in close coordination with authorities in Oman, Indian mission officials and relevant maritime agencies after the incident. Officials also said that apart from the MSV Haji Ali incident, no other cases involving Indian vessels or foreign vessels carrying Indian seafarers had been reported in the past 72 hours, and all Indian seafarers in the region were safe.
The incident comes amid a fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz and wider West Asia. The region has seen a series of security incidents involving merchant vessels in recent months. India had last month expressed deep concern after two Indian-flagged vessels came under attack while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, calling the targeting of civilian shipping and mariners “unacceptable”. It said all 14 crew members on board were safe and had been rescued by the Omani authorities.
The attack took place on Wednesday and the perpetrators were not immediately known. “The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” said the MEA.
The vessel involved was the Indian dhow MSV Haji Ali, a mechanised sailing vessel travelling from Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE. It reportedly came under attack in Omani waters in the early hours of May 13. The strike caused a fire on board and the vessel later sank.
All 14 crew members were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and taken to Dibba port in Oman. The crew members are reported to be safe and the required formalities with local authorities have been completed.
The government said it remained in close coordination with authorities in Oman, Indian mission officials and relevant maritime agencies after the incident. Officials also said that apart from the MSV Haji Ali incident, no other cases involving Indian vessels or foreign vessels carrying Indian seafarers had been reported in the past 72 hours, and all Indian seafarers in the region were safe.
The incident comes amid a fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz and wider West Asia. The region has seen a series of security incidents involving merchant vessels in recent months. India had last month expressed deep concern after two Indian-flagged vessels came under attack while crossing the Strait of Hormuz.