India on Friday summoned US political envoy Jason Meeks for the second time this week after another merchant ship with an Indian crew was attacked off the coast of Oman. This is the third attack involving Indian sailors in just four days. The US diplomat was summoned by the US State Department’s additional secretary as part of a diplomatic response to threats to commercial shipping in the Gulf region.
Department of Shipping Hormuz SystemThe move comes hours after a new safety guideline was issued for the nearly eighteen thousand Indian seafarers operating in and around the waters of the Gulf of Oman. The warning was prompted by three recent incidents involving ships with Indian crews. This includes a horrific attack off the coast of Oman, in which three Indian sailors were killed.
The first incident occurred in June when a ship named Merivax caught fire after a suspected attack. However, the 24 Indian crew members on board were safe. The second attack took place on June 10 in the Gulf of Oman. Twenty-four Indian crew members were also on board the Setabelo. Eleven sailors were rescued, but three other Indians, initially reported missing, were later confirmed dead.
A third case was reported on Thursday. Another merchant ship carrying Indian personnel was attacked off the coast of Oman. This raises concerns about the safety of commercial shipping in the region. According to various reports, the name of the ship was JalveerWith twenty Indian employees. However, the officials are yet to reveal the exact cause of the incident.
According to official data, there are currently 622 Indian sailors on thirteen Indian-flagged ships in waters east and west of the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, around 18,000 Indian nationals work on hundreds of merchant ships flying the flags of various countries in the Gulf region. This deteriorating maritime security situation has made India one of the most vulnerable countries. India has the second largest number of seafarers in the worldAbout 320,000 Indian sailors are serving in ships around the world.