The Indian Embassy in Muscat on Thursday said all Indian crew members on board a vessel which was attacked near an Omanian port have been rescued and evacuated ashore.
"The rescue operation with the support of the Omani authorities has been successfully completed and all the 22 Indian crew members have been evacuated ashore. The Mission is coordinating with the Omani authorities on further actions," the Embassy said in a post on X.
The Ministry of External Affairs later confirmed that the vessel had come under attack from the US Navy stationed nearby.
"We attach high importance to the welfare and well-being of our seafaring community," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing in New Delhi while responding to a question on the incidents involving the vessels.
The US Central Command said in a statement that it disabled the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer for allegedly violating its blockade against Iran by attempting to transport Iranian oil.
It said a US aircraft struck the vessel's engine room after the crew "repeatedly failed to comply with directions from US forces."
The MEA said two of the vessels involved in the incidents this week were operating under US sanctions, while one was in the non-compliant category.
This was the third instance of a merchant ship with Indian crew members coming under attack from the US military off the Oman coast in the last four days.
A Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying 24 Indian seafarers was disabled by US forces on Monday. All crew members of the vessel MT Marivex were safely rescued.
On Wednesday, the US struck another Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, killing three out of the 24 Indian sailors on board.
Following Wednesday's incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks and he was handed a diplomatic note of protest.
MT Settebello had 24 Indian crew members onboard, of which 21 were rescued, and three were reported missing.
On Thursday, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that the three Indian seafarers, who were missing after Wednesday's attack, were found dead.
Earlier, on Monday, all 24 Indian crew members of a merchant tanker - identified as MT Marivex - were rescued in coordination with Omani authorities following a missile attack on the vessel off the Oman coast.
The US military imposed a blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing West Asia conflict.
(With inputs from PTI)