Indian seafarers safe after tanker hit by limpet mines in Hormuz
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed all 27 Indians aboard the MT Louise 1 are unharmed following the attack.
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was targeted by limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The attack, which caused a fire in the engine room of the MT Louise 1, temporarily disabled the vessel.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal stated on X that all Indian seafarers on the tanker were completely safe with no injuries. He added that a Liberia-flagged tanker, the MT Arzanah, was also hit by a projectile attack, but the two Indian nationals aboard that vessel are also safe.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported the incident occurred 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. According to maritime sources cited by Reuters, a small boat attached two limpet mines to the hull of the MT Louise 1. This marks the first time such explosives have successfully functioned in the waterway since the US-Iran conflict started.
The Iran Revolutionary Guards Navy said on Friday that four oil tankers caught fire and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz while using unauthorised routes. The IRGC claimed one tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, hit a naval mine.
The maritime risk management group Marisks noted on Friday that the ability of small crafts to deploy these devices on transiting tankers presents a significant security concern in the congested shipping lanes.