INDIAN SAILOR KILLED IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHIP ATTACK

An attack on the cargo ship Cape Dao in the Strait of Hormuz killed an Indian sailor on Wednesday, Omani and Indian authorities said. Oman's Maritime Security Centre said the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel was struck 2.5 nautical miles off the country's coast, causing a fire in the engine room and the death of one crew member. The Omani navy evacuated the remaining 27 crew members from the vessel. India's foreign ministry said in a statement that one Indian national had died, and condemned the continuing attacks on vessels in the waterway. The ministry's spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, published the statement on the attack on the commercial vessel off the coast of Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for the transport of Gulf oil and gas. Since the Middle East war began, Iran has sought to assert control over the waterway, striking vessels accused of failing to coordinate with its authorities or of deviating from its preferred shipping route, according to reports. The United States has responded with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports, carrying out its own strikes on ships it says refuse to comply with its restrictions. Neither Omani nor Indian authorities named the party responsible for the attack on the Cape Dao. The ship's cargo and destination were not disclosed by either country.

India's statement condemning the attacks reflects continuing concern over the safety of shipping and crews transiting the strait. The attack adds to a pattern of strikes on vessels in the waterway since the war began, with both Iran and the United States reported to have targeted ships they accuse of failing to comply with their respective demands. Oman's Maritime Security Centre confirmed that all surviving crew members were safely evacuated following the fire. Neither country's statement detailed further action over the death of the sailor.