Ten Indian seafarers were rescued after the strike on the Cyprus-flagged vessel near Oman, as India called the attack “deeply worrisome.”
New Delhi, July 14, 2026 — India has condemned the attack on the Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, where one Indian seafarer remains missing and 10 others were rescued. The Ministry of External Affairs said its embassy in Oman is coordinating with local authorities during the search-and-rescue operation.
The vessel was attacked in waters east of Oman amid fresh tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most sensitive shipping lanes. US Central Command said the ship suffered engine room damage and caught fire, while the British maritime agency UKMTO said the crew abandoned the vessel and got into a lifeboat.
The Indian government did not mince words. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman earlier today.”
Of the 11 Indian nationals aboard, 10 have been rescued so far, and one is still missing, the foreign ministry said. The Hindu reported that the missing seafarer is Heramb Karmarkar, the ship’s third engineer, and said his family has been informed.
And the incident lands in the middle of a wider maritime security crisis. Reuters reported in May that India had already condemned another attack on an Indian-flagged vessel off Oman’s coast as “unacceptable,” warning that commercial shipping and civilian mariners keep getting targeted in the region.
What does it say when merchant crews keep becoming collateral in a regional power struggle?
So far, the official Indian position has stayed focused on rescue, coordination, and de-escalation. The embassy in Oman is working with Omani authorities, and the search continues for the missing crew member.
The GFS Galaxy has become the latest symbol of a shipping corridor under strain. Every attack in these waters now carries the same grim message: the risk is no longer theoretical.
