21 Indian Sailors Safe After Kuwaiti Tanker Struck Off Oman Coast
In an escalating maritime security crisis across the Persian Gulf, all 21 Indian crew members aboard the Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker M/T Al Dasma escaped unharmed after the commercial vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the volatile Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Confirming the safety of the entire crew on Thursday morning, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal stated that Indian maritime authorities are actively monitoring the situation and maintaining continuous communication with the vessel’s commercial operating firm to ensure the seafarers' security and welfare. The maritime strike unfolds against the backdrop of widening geopolitical hostilities across the Middle East, once again exposing the severe security risks confronting international merchant shipping and foreign crews operating along the world’s most critical maritime energy artery.
UKMTO Tracks Bukha Strike: Repeat Attacks Target Commercial Shipping Lanes
According to incident logs issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the strike on M/T Al Dasma occurred approximately 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, an Omani coastal enclave situated near the northern tip of the Musandam Peninsula overlooking the vital maritime choke point. The encounter marks the second alarming security episode involving Indian merchant mariners in regional waters in less than a fortnight; just ten days prior, the commercial tanker MT Petro Dolphin, which had 11 Indian sailors aboard, was targeted by a loitering drone strike while positioned at the Sohar Anchorage off northern Oman. The consecutive attacks follow sharp diplomatic condemnations issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on October 11, wherein New Delhi expressed profound concern over recurrent asymmetric assaults on civilian merchant vessels and demanded that all regional actors respect established international maritime conventions.
India Demands Maritime Freedom: Government Steps Up Crew Protection Measures
With Indian nationals comprising a significant portion of global merchant marine crews operating across high-risk corridors in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea, the Government of India has instituted continuous monitoring protocols with shipping management companies, international maritime bodies, and naval security coordination centers. Emphasizing the strategic necessity of unimpeded international trade, New Delhi reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz represents an indispensable global energy transit corridor carrying a substantial share of worldwide crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, warning that drone and projectile strikes against civilian vessels threaten global supply chain stability and the lives of innocent sailors. Indian maritime regulators have advised commercial vessels passing through the Gulf of Oman to enforce heightened onboard security vigilance, adhere strictly to recommended transit corridors, and maintain real-time communication with maritime security agencies to counter emerging airborne and sea-surface threats.
