Two Indian seafarers missing after drone strike on tanker at Sohar Anchorage in Oman

Two Indian seafarers remain missing after a drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage off Oman on 11 October. Nine other Indian crew members were rescued and are safe, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India identified the missing men as Bir Bahadur Yadav and Amit Singh.

The Indian Embassy in Muscat said it is in continuous contact with Omani authorities and the ship’s managers. Local coast guard units are conducting search and rescue. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack and a separate strike the same day on the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Valthera in the Strait of Hormuz. All 11 Indians aboard the Valthera were reported safe after that vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile that started a fire.

The Petro Dolphin was carrying 11 Indian seafarers when the drone struck. The exact extent of damage to the ship and the circumstances under which the two men went missing have not been detailed publicly. India has more than 320,000 active seafarers. Several have been killed or injured in attacks in the Hormuz region since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on 28 February.

The MEA called for immediate de-escalation and a resolution of the conflict through dialogue. It said attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must stop. The embassy is coordinating assistance for the rescued crew and support for the families of the missing.

The union has asked for an urgent status update and protection measures for merchant sailors operating in the area. It noted that repeated incidents have left Indian crews exposed. Another Indian-crewed vessel was struck off Oman on 6 October.

Search operations were still under way on Monday. The practical questions for the families are whether the two men can be located and what condition they are in if found. Indian officials have not named any party as responsible for the drone strike.