Five Indian seafarers rescued after missile strike on Kuwaiti tanker in Strait of Hormuz

A Kuwaiti-flagged oil tanker, MT Kazima III, was hit by a missile-like weapon in the Strait of Hormuz. Indian seafarers were working on the ship. After the attack, the Indian embassy in Oman and the local administration in Oman launched a rescue operation immediately and brought all five Indian nationals on the tanker to shore safely.

Giving official information on the social media platform X, the Indian embassy in Oman said: "Five Indian nationals aboard the Kuwaiti tanker MT Kazima III, which was hit by a missile in the Strait of Hormuz this morning, have been successfully rescued. All have been taken to a safe place, and we sincerely thank the Omani administration for its vital help in the rescue." The ship was carrying crude oil under the Kuwaiti flag and was headed for the port of Lome in Togo.

Amid continuing attacks in the Persian Gulf and nearby sea routes, the Government of India is fully alert to the safety of Indians there. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a press conference that more than 4,500 Indian seafarers are currently working on various foreign and Indian merchant ships in the Persian Gulf.

Jaiswal further said: "At present, 6 Indian-flagged merchant ships and 6 foreign-flagged ships carrying cargo for India, 12 ships in all, are operating directly in this area. 163 Indian seafarers are deployed on these 12 ships. With the help of the Ministry of Shipping, the Indian embassy and local maritime agencies, the movement of all ships and the safety of the seafarers are being closely monitored round the clock."

For the past few months, merchant ships have been targeted on major shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Black Sea. India has also raised this growing threat at the United Nations. Speaking at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar drew the world's attention to the issue.

In his speech, Jaishankar said in strong terms: "The situation is already grave because of wars and tensions on land, and now merchant ships and innocent seafarers at sea are being targeted. In these incidents, from the Gulf countries to the Red Sea, citizens of several countries, including Indian seafarers, have lost their lives. Such attacks on trade routes are completely unacceptable." India's raising the issue at the UN has once again put the question of maritime security at the centre of global discussion.