An Indian sailor, Suraj Yadav, tragically died following a terrorist attack on a commercial ship in international waters near Oman. The Indian Embassy in
Muscat confirmed Yadav’s death, stating he sustained fatal head injuries when projectiles struck the living quarters and engine room of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao. The ship was approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Oman and en route to India.
Yadav, a wiper from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, was among 27 crew members, including 19 Indians, who were onboard. The Royal Navy of Oman safely escorted the remaining crew to shore. India’s Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the attack and urged an end to such assaults on commercial shipping.
In light of escalating security risks and persistent threats to merchant shipping in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, regional naval forces, including the Indian Navy, remain on high alert. They are actively conducting maritime security operations to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels and protect crews from piracy, drones, and missile attacks.