New Delhi: India on Thursday (May 14) condemned what it described as an “attack” on an Indian-flagged cargo vessel off the coast of Oman, after the Gujarat-based ship carrying livestock sank following an explosion near the Strait of Hormuz. All 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Omani authorities.In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the attack on the Indian flagged ship was “unacceptable” and deplored the continued targeting of commercial shipping and civilian mariners, though it stopped short of identifying who was responsible.“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable,” the ministry said, adding that “targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided”.The ministry said all Indian crew members were safe and thanked Omani authorities for carrying out the rescue operation.The statement from the external affairs ministry came as foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc, including Iran, gathered in New Delhi for a two day meeting dominated by discussions on the widening conflict in West Asia, maritime security and the impact of disruptions to global trade routes.BRICS member states have struggled to evolve a consensus position on the regional conflict and attacks linked to maritime routes in West Asia. Earlier in the day, at the ministerial meeting, Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar stressed the need for “unimpeded maritime commerce” through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring India’s concerns over the impact of the conflict on shipping and energy flows.The vessel, identified in Gujarati media reports as MSV Haji Ali BDI 1492, was reportedly owned out of Salaya port in Gujarat’s Devbhoomi Dwarka district. Local reports said the ship was travelling from Somalia’s Berbera port to Sharjah carrying livestock when a major explosion erupted early on Wednesday morning near Limah off the Omani coast.Gujarati media reports said the blast triggered a fire that rapidly engulfed the vessel, forcing the crew to abandon ship in lifeboats before it sank. While local reports cited suspicions of a possible drone or missile strike, neither Indian nor Omani authorities have publicly confirmed the cause of the explosion or attributed responsibility for the incident.According to the reports, the 14 crew members, comprising one captain and 13 sailors, were rescued by the Oman Coast Guard and Royal Oman Police and taken to Dibba port.The incident comes amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel, which has disrupted maritime traffic and raised security concerns for commercial shipping in the region.Last month, India formally conveyed “deep concern” to Iran after two Indian flagged ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz during Tehran’s attempt to enforce restrictions on maritime traffic through the strategic waterway. New Delhi summoned Iran’s ambassador after Indian vessels were reportedly fired upon by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats.Unlike the earlier episode, however, India has not publicly identified any country or actor in connection with the latest attack off Oman.Gujarati media reports said representatives of the Indian Sailing Vessels Association have urged the Indian government to facilitate the sailors’ return to India at the earliest.