Two Indian Sailors Missing After Oman Tanker Drone Strike
Two Indian sailors are missing following a drone strike on the MT Petro Dolphin, a Nicaragua-flagged product tanker, off the coast of Oman. The attack occurred on Sunday, October 11, 2026, while the vessel was anchored at the Sohar Anchorage in northern Oman, causing the ship to catch fire.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed that there were 11 Indian crew members on board at the time of the incident. While nine crew members were successfully rescued, two remain unaccounted for.
Search and Rescue Operations Underway
The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) has identified the two missing crew members as Bir Bahadur Yadav and Amit Singh. In response to the incident, the FSUI has demanded immediate status updates and has raised questions regarding US Central Command's security warnings for commercial vessels in the region.
Local Coast Guard teams are currently working in coordination with Indian officials and ship managers to conduct intensive search-and-rescue operations. The MT Petro Dolphin is a 4,000 dwt coastal tanker built in 2004 and is reportedly owned by a UAE-based entity. Notably, the vessel had no recent AIS signal prior to the strike.
Heightened Regional Tensions
The attack on the MT Petro Dolphin coincides with a series of maritime and regional security incidents. On the same day, the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Valthera was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz. However, all 11 Indian crew members on the MT Valthera were reported safe.
These events occur against a backdrop of increased volatility in the Middle East, including a recent Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that resulted in the death of an Indian national.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the attacks, emphasizing the critical need for the safety of Indian seafarers and calling for a diplomatic resolution to prevent further escalation. The Embassy of India in Muscat is closely monitoring the situation as authorities reiterate their commitment to protecting civilian infrastructure and ensuring freedom of navigation.