At least three Indian nationals were killed in Iranian attacks on two commercial ships in the waters off Oman, while about 20 others were wounded in attacks across the region, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed the “tragic death of an Indian national on board the ship MKD Vyom” in a social media post. The embassy said it was coordinating with the authorities in Oman “to facilitate the safe and early return of our citizens on the ship.”
Marshall Islands-flagged MKD Vyom was attacked by a drone boat approximately 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate. The Omani authorities said that the attack led to a fire and explosion in the main engine room, which led to the death of an Indian citizen.
Two other Indian nationals who were part of the crew of the Palau-flagged oil tanker Skylight were killed when Iranian forces targeted the ship in waters near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula over the weekend, the people said, requesting anonymity.
They added that three other crew members of the Indian ship Skylight were injured. The tanker’s crew of 21 includes 16 Indians.
Another Indian national was seriously injured in an attack on the LCT Alyh ship, the people said.
The sources said nearly 20 Indian nationals were injured in Iranian strikes across West Asia, including about 13 in the UAE. They added that most of them sustained minor injuries and were out of danger.
Iran launched a wave of attacks against Israel and US military bases in several West Asian countries in response to strikes launched by the US and Israel on Saturday that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials.
