All 22 Indian Crew Members Safe After Drone Attack on Oil Tanker at Sharjah Anchorage: Sonowal

October 10, 2026

Sharjah, UAE: All 22 Indian seafarers aboard the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT GEM NO. 2 are safe after the vessel was targeted in a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage on October 9, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday.

Sonowal said the situation was being closely monitored and that authorities were in contact with the ship management company to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian crew.

In a post on X, the Union Minister confirmed that all 22 Indian nationals onboard the vessel had been reported safe following the incident.

“On Oct 9, Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT GEM NO. 2, carrying a crew of 22 Indian nationals, was subjected to a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage. I am relieved to share that all 22 of our Indian seafarers onboard are reported to be completely safe,” Sonowal said.

He added that the authorities were continuing to monitor developments and coordinate with the ship management company to ensure the crew’s security and well-being.

Drone Attack on MT GEM NO. 2 Raises Maritime Security Concerns

Sharjah Anchorage is located in the Arabian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates, according to MarineTraffic.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over attacks on commercial vessels and seafarers in the Gulf region and the Black Sea. Such incidents have raised calls for stronger international cooperation to protect maritime trade and the lives of crew members working aboard commercial ships.

India Pushes for Greater Cooperation on Shipping Safety

On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the objectives of the newly formed Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers (GoF on S4). The initiative aims to bring maritime stakeholders together and strengthen international cooperation to protect commercial shipping and seafarers.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the group seeks to coordinate countries involved in commercial shipping and the maritime industry, along with nations that have significant seafaring communities.

“The idea is to get them together so that we can bring the issue of safety of seafarers and the issue of safety of commercial shipping at the centre of global discourse and discussion, and we can enhance international cooperation so as to ensure that commercial shipping is not impacted, they are not attacked, and the seafarers are safe and secure,” Jaiswal said.

The group’s first meeting was held in New York, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti. A total of 25 countries participated in the meeting.

India and Liberia Condemn Attacks on Commercial Vessels

India and Liberia, which co-chair the group, strongly condemned attacks on commercial vessels and seafarers in the Gulf region and its vicinity, as well as the Black Sea, in a joint statement issued on Thursday.

“These actions that disrupt maritime trade and cost innocent lives are simply indefensible. We call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interest of peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.

The two countries also expressed condolences to the families of seafarers who lost their lives and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

India and Liberia launched the Group of Friends last month on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The initiative aims to improve international coordination, prevent further attacks and safeguard the rights and security of seafarers.

Jaishankar had said India, as a major source of seafarers, had joined hands with Liberia, which hosts the world’s largest shipping registry by tonnage, to address growing concerns over attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners.

“Put simply, these attacks must stop,” he said.