Kuwait Tanker Carrying 21 Indian Sailors Hit in Hormuz
An unidentified projectile struck a Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker with 21 Indian seafarers aboard as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, October 21. Everyone on board is safe, said Sarbananda Sonowal, India's Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
"All 21 of our Indian crew members, along with the rest of the crew are completely safe," Sonowal wrote on X about the vessel, the M/T Al Dasma. He said the government was monitoring the situation and was in close contact with the ship's management company over the security and welfare of the crew.
Fire on Board
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) placed the incident about 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman, on the southern side of the strait. The impact set off a fire on the tanker that was later put out, Times Kuwait reported, according to The Times of India. The vessel stayed stationary after the incident.
The origin of the projectile remained unknown, and there was no official word on damage to the ship or its cargo, The Indian Express reported.
A Month of Attacks
The Al Dasma is the latest commercial vessel to be hit in the Gulf region. Ships in the Strait of Hormuz have been struck almost daily this month, with more than 20 attacked in October alone, Swarajya reported. Before the current conflict in the region, about 25 per cent of the world's seaborne oil exports passed through the narrow waterway.
Several recent incidents have involved Indian crews. On October 16, the crude oil tanker MT ST 3, carrying 15 Indian seafarers, was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz; Sonowal said all Indian nationals on board were safe. On October 14, a drone hit the chemical tanker YARA J, which had nine Indian seafarers on board, at Sulina Anchorage off Romania.
On October 11, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, citing the tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN. That ship, with 11 Indian seafarers, was reportedly hit by a drone at Sohar Anchorage; nine crew were rescued and two remained missing. In another incident, an unidentified projectile set the Marshall Islands-flagged MT VALTHERA on fire; all 11 Indian seafarers aboard were reported safe.
India's Position
New Delhi has described attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners as "legally and morally indefensible" and has stressed the need to protect seafarers and uphold freedom of navigation. The MEA has urged that strikes on merchant ships, their crews and civilian infrastructure stop at once, and has called for the "safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways".