Two Missing After Attack on Tanker at Sohar

An attack involving an unmanned aerial vehicle struck the tanker MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage in Oman, leaving two of its 11 Indian seafarers missing after nine were rescued, India’s shipping minister said Sunday, October 11. Sarbananda Sonowal said local authorities were conducting search-and-rescue operations for the missing crew members. The Indian Embassy in Oman separately said it was in contact with the authorities and that two sailors had been reported missing. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said it had reclassified an incident near the anchorage as an attack after confirming an oil tanker was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The agency said local authorities were assisting with the crew’s evacuation. It did not establish the extent of damage to the tanker or whether the incident had an environmental impact. The reports identified the vessel as MT Petro Dolphin and its crew as Indian nationals. The available accounts did not provide further information about the two missing sailors or the outcome of the search operations as of Monday, October 12. The incident occurred at Sohar, a port in northern Oman.