An Indian seafarer is reportedly missing after the vessel he was on, a Panama-flagged oil tanker, was attacked off the coast of Oman on Sunday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned the attack, adding that efforts are underway to rescue the other 13 Indian crew members of MT El Gaia.

“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman earlier today. Of the 14 Indian crew onboard, 13 Indians have been rescued so far,” it said.

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“Search and rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing. Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” the MEA said in a statement.

Our statement on the attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/u78n9UGNFF pic.twitter.com/RjCOaDMQQL

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 13, 2026

The Indian side thanked Omani authorities for their support in rescuing the Indian seafarers.

“We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions and pursuance of dialogue and diplomacy to bring peace to the region,” the MEA further said, adding, “The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable.”

New Delhi has been concerned over attacks on commercial shipping as most of the vessels usually have Indian seafarers. Speaking at the BRICS summit on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the creation of a ‘Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network’ to safeguard them from security risks due to regional conflicts.

Ten Indian seafarers are among the 16 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict, while another five Indian seafarers have died in strikes on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.