Bodies of two Indian seafarers killed in US attack on vessel last week repatriated

Dubai (PTI): Bodies of two of the three Indian seafarers who were killed in a US strike on a vessel off the Oman coast were repatriated to the country on Wednesday, according to an official statement.

This comes a day after 21 rescued Indian seafarers from the same Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello were repatriated to India.

"The mortal remains of Mr Aditya Sharma and Mr Shivanand Chaurasiya, who tragically lost their lives in the attack on MT Settebello, have been repatriated to India," the Indian Embassy in Muscat said on X.

The mission, however, did not provide any details regarding the body of the third deceased Indian seafarer, Patnala Suresh.

"Our heartfelt condolences remain with their families during this difficult time," the Indian mission added.

Last week, three merchant ships with Indian crew came under US attack off the Oman coast. One of them was MT Settebello, which led to three deaths, while the others were rescued.

Following the attacks, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks twice in a week and registered strong protest.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an outreach session of the G7 summit, said that all countries must ensure that maritime routes remain secure and that seafarers can perform their duties without fear.

Modi raised the issue a day ahead of his bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump.