On 2026-10-11 the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that a tanker had been struck by a drone off the coast of Oman near Sohar anchorage, reclassifying the incident as an attack.
Following confirmation of a drone strike, UKMTO reclassified the incident from an incident to an attack. UKMTO’s reporting remained neutral, conveying the facts as confirmed without attributing responsibility or speculating on motives.
Drone Attack on Tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN at Sohar Anchorage, Oman; Two Indian Seafarers Missing A total of 12 crew members, including 11 Indians, were on board; 10 were rescued safely, while the Coast Guard is searching for the missing seafarers. Oman/New Delhi, October 11, 2026: The Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN, which was awaiting berthing at Sohar Anchorage, Oman, was reportedly attacked by a drone. The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 AM local time on October 11. Following the incident, two Indian seafarers are reported missing, while 10 crew members have been rescued safely. According to preliminary information received from the relevant sources, a total of 12 crew members were on board the tanker at the time of the incident. They comprised 11 Indian nationals and one Bangladeshi national. #MTPETRODOLPHIN #DroneAttack #Oman #SoharAnchorage #IndianSeafarers #MissingSeafarers #SeafarersSafety #MaritimeSecurity #TankerAttack #IndianCrew #CoastGuard #SearchAndRescue #ShippingNews #MaritimeNews #IndianMariners #DGMA #DGShipping #MarineSafety #BreakingNews #VoiceOfSea @dgshipping_IN @MEAIndia @sarbanandsonwal @Shantanu_bjp @PMOIndia @InSeaandshore
The strike took place near Sohar anchorage on Oman’s coast.
According to Sonowal’supdate, nine of the Indian crew members had been successfully rescued and were reported to be safe.
Later on the same day, Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, posted on X/Twitter that the tanker was carrying eleven Indian nationals. His message was neutral, aiming to inform the public and the families of those aboard without assigning blame or offering conjecture.
Two Indian sailors were missing after a commercial vessel was hit by a "drone attack" Sunday off the coast of Oman, New Delhi's shipping minister said https://t.co/zdBpDEo61k
According to Sonowal’supdate, nine of the Indian crew members had been successfully rescued and were reported to be safe.
The same update highlighted that two Indian nationals remained unaccounted for after the attack.
Responding to the situation, the local Omani Coast Guard initiated search-and-rescue operations to locate the missing seafarers. These operations are actively underway.
Sonowal emphasized that Indian authorities are maintaining continuous coordination with the Omani Coast Guard, reflecting a neutral stance.