New Delhi, 12 June (H.S.): The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Jason Meeks, over recent incidents involving commercial vessels carrying Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman, which were reportedly targeted by the US Navy.

The Ministry expressed deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian ships and made it clear that such actions are unacceptable.

The summons came after another vessel with an Indian crew was reportedly targeted by the US Navy a day earlier. The American diplomat remained at the Ministry of External Affairs for around 45 minutes.

Following the meeting, the Ministry issued a statement reiterating its serious concern over the use of deadly force against civilian vessels. It stated that such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime trade in a sensitive region during a difficult period.

According to the Ministry, the US diplomatic representative was urged to convey India’s serious concerns to the relevant authorities and ensure that US forces deployed in the region take all necessary measures to prevent loss of civilian lives.

The Ministry also noted that in the past four days, three vessels carrying Indian crew members had reportedly been targeted in the Red Sea region by the US Navy. The Palau-flagged tankers Marivex and Setebello were among those affected. In the attack on Setebello, three Indian sailors — deck cadet Aditya Sharma, fitter Shivanand Chaurasia, and chief engineer Pattanala Suresh — were killed.

Another vessel, MT Jalveer was reportedly attacked on Thursday.

Earlier, on Wednesday as well, the Ministry had summoned Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks to protest the incident involving the vessel Marivex.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar