Panama-flagged tanker targeted off Oman, 10 crew members evacuated

A Panamanian-flagged commercial vessel was targeted off Oman’s Musandam Governorate on Tuesday, sparking a fire aboard the ship and prompting the medical evacuation of 10 crew members, Oman’s Defence Ministry said.

The vessel, identified as the On Peace, came under attack about nine nautical miles northeast of Lima in Musandam, which overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry said in a statement.

The Royal Oman Air Force, in coordination with relevant authorities, evacuated the 10 crew members by air to Khasab Hospital, where they received medical treatment.

The tanker was struck 9 nautical miles (about 17km) off the Omani port city of Limah on Tuesday. The attack set off a fire on board the vessel.

The ministry did not disclose the nature of the attack, the condition of those evacuated or who was responsible.

The incident occurred near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route linking the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

The waterway has been a flashpoint in the US-Iran war and has witnessed months of maritime attacks.

Meanwhile, India claimed that 17 of the 19 crew members were Indian nationals.

India’s foreign ministry said at least 12 crew members were injured when a projectile hit the vessel as it transited the strait.

“The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern for India,” the ministry said.

“We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region.”