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  "path": "/latest/three-indian-sailors-killed-in-us-military-strike-off-oman-coast-new-delhi-lodges-strong-protest/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-11T10:40:49.000Z",
  "site": "https://humenglish.com",
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    "Three Indian sailors killed in US military strike off Oman coast; New Delhi lodges strong protest",
    "HUM News English"
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  "textContent": "WEB DESK: Three Indian seafarers initially reported missing have been confirmed dead following a US military strike on a commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, Indian authorities said on Thursday.\n\nThe fatalities mark a sharp escalation in regional tensions, representing the first reported civilian deaths since Washington initiated its naval blockade on Iran-linked shipping channels in mid-April.\n\nConfirming the developments, Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated that the bodies of the three missing crew members had been located and formally identified.\n\nThe targeted vessel, a Palau-flagged oil products tanker named _Settebello_ , was transiting international waters when it was intercepted.\n\nAccording to India's Ministry of External Affairs, 21 other Indian mariners on board the vessel were successfully rescued during a joint coordination effort with Omani authorities.\n\n#### Washington defends 'precision strike'\n\nProviding the American stance on the fatal encounter, the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it deployed aircraft to carry out a \"precision strike\" directly targeting the vessel's engine room.\n\nUS military officials maintained that the kinetic action was taken only after the tanker’s crew repeatedly failed to comply with lawful maritime directions from American naval forces.\n\nWashington asserted that the _Settebello_ was operating in open violation of the ongoing naval blockade, which was established on April 13 to choke off maritime revenue streams after regional shipping lanes were severely disrupted.\n\nSince the enforcement operations began, US forces have reportedly disabled eight vessels and forced more than 100 others to turn back.\n\n#### New Delhi reacts with diplomatic summons\n\nThe deaths have triggered a sharp diplomatic backlash from New Delhi, which has formally condemned the attack on civilian infrastructure.\n\nGovernment sources revealed that the Indian government has formally summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi to lodge a \"strong protest\" over the use of lethal military force against commercial sailors.\n\nThe unfolding maritime crisis comes at a highly sensitive time for bilateral relations between the two capitals. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel next week to the Group of Seven (G7) summit, where he is anticipated to hold crucial one-on-one bilateral discussions with US President Donald Trump.\n\nDiplomatic observers note that the tragic deaths in the Gulf of Oman are now likely to overshadow the planned agenda.\n\nThe post Three Indian sailors killed in US military strike off Oman coast; New Delhi lodges strong protest appeared first on HUM News English.",
  "title": "Three Indian sailors killed in US military strike off Oman coast; New Delhi lodges strong protest"
}