Indian sailor killed in Strait of Hormuz attack

An Indian sailor was killed in an attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship Cape Dao in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, Omani and Indian authorities said.

Oman's Maritime Security Centre said the vessel was attacked 2.5 nautical miles off Oman's coast, causing a fire in the engine room and killing one crew member. It said 27 crew members were evacuated by the Omani navy.

India's foreign ministry condemned the attack and said “one Indian national tragically lost his life”. It urged the warring parties to return to negotiations.

“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region must be restored at the earliest,” the ministry said.

The statements did not identify who carried out the attack.

Since the start of the Middle East war, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been affected by Iran's efforts to impose control over the maritime route for Gulf oil and gas and by US counter-blockade operations against Iranian ports. Oman sits across the strait from Iran, and ships seeking to avoid Tehran's restrictions have recently taken routes close to the Omani coast.