India's foreign ministry says 12 injured, including 11 Indian nationals

Ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [AP]
Ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz. [AP]

A Panama-flagged oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving 12 crew members injured, as vessel strikes in the waterway — which had tapered off following US-Iran end-of-war negotiations — have resumed in recent weeks, ratcheting up regional tensions.

Oman's Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday (local time) that the Omani air force conducted an operation to evacuate 10 crew members from the Panama-flagged tanker Onpeace, located 9 nautical miles northeast of Lima in Musandam Governorate, for medical treatment.

The ministry said the vessel had been attacked and a fire broke out on board, adding that the crew were airlifted to Khasab Hospital in Musandam Governorate for medical care.

The ministry also released photos and video showing injured crew members being lowered from a helicopter and transported to the hospital.

Earlier that day, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack, saying the Onpeace had been struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of the day.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said 17 of the tanker's 19 crew members are Indian nationals, and that 12 people were injured in the attack, including 11 Indians.

"We are deeply concerned about the continued attacks on ships in this region," the ministry said. "We call for an immediate halt to such attacks in the interest of peace and stability in the region. Attacks on commercial vessels and civilian facilities must stop, and trade and navigation through international waterways must be restored without delay."

Attacks on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which had declined somewhat as the United States and Iran engaged in end-of-war negotiations, have been on the rise again in recent weeks.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported seven incidents of vessel attacks in waters around the strait in just six days, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly been warning ships attempting to transit the strait that they will be attacked if they do not turn back.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com