Three Indian sailors killed in US strike on oil tanker

Three Indian sailors have been confirmed killed after the US military struck a tanker in the Gulf of Oman which it accused of violating its blockade on Iranian ports.

The MT Settebello came under attack on Wednesday, with 24 Indian crew on board, of whom 21 were rescued. In a post on X, India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the three men's bodies would be brought home soon.

The US has struck three ships in the Gulf this week, all with Indian crew on board.

On Thursday, Delhi said all 20 crew on the Jalveer were safe after a strike off Oman. Three days earlier the 24 Indian crew on sanctioned oil tanker the Marivex were rescued before it sank. Centcom confirmed it struck both ships.

India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal said the three seamen on board the Settebello who died were Aditya Sharma, a cadet, Shivanand Chaurashiya, a fitter, and Patnala Suresh, a chief engineer.

In a post on X, the US Central Command said one of its aircraft fired "precision munitions" into the engine room of the tanker "after the crew repeatedly failed" to follow directions.

On Monday, US forces hit The Marivex, also a Palau-flagged oil tanker, in the Gulf of Oman after it failed to comply with US instructions, Centcom said. All 24 crew were rescued by the Omani military, Indian authorities said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said when the Palau-flagged Settebello was struck, India "lodged a strong protest" with the US.

"We called in the American CDA [chargé d'affaires] and informed them of our deepest concerns about the ongoing incidents of attacks," he added.

But on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary Aseem Mahajan said a third vessel - the Guinea-Bissau-flagged MT Jalveer - had come under attack in the vicinity of Shinas port in Oman.

He said the Royal Navy of Oman was helping evacuate the crew.

Although the three vessels involved in incidents were foreign-flagged, a majority of their crew were Indians.

Rajesh Sharma, father of Aditya Sharma, a cadet on board the Settebello who died in the strike, told the BBC that the family was waiting for his body to be returned to them.

He said his son was due to return home in May, but his duty got extended. He added that he had last spoken to his son on Sunday.

He questioned why the captain of the tanker chose to go near the Strait of Hormuz and called for an inquiry.

"Who is responsible for the deaths [of the three Indian sailors]? The circumstances that led to the deaths must be investigated," he said.

The US