DUBAI, October 11, 2026 — A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker carrying 22 Indian seafarers was hit in a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage on Friday, in the latest strike on commercial shipping in the Arabian Gulf, Indian officials confirmed on Saturday.
Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said all 22 Indian nationals aboard the MT GEM NO. 2 were reported safe after the vessel came under attack at the anchorage in the Dubai area of the United Arab Emirates.
“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,” Sonowal said in a statement posted on X. “I am relieved to share that all 22 of our Indian seafarers onboard are reported to be completely safe.”
The minister said New Delhi was continuously monitoring the situation and was in direct contact with the ship’s management company to ensure the security and well-being of the crew. He did not identify who carried out the attack and gave no further details of the incident, according to reports citing the Press Trust of India.
Attack Near Dubai’s Coastline
Sharjah Anchorage lies in the Arabian Gulf off the UAE’s northern coastline, in the waters around Dubai, maritime data showed. The anchorage is one of the busiest waiting areas for vessels calling at ports across the Gulf, trade sources said.
The strike adds to a growing list of attacks on commercial vessels and merchant mariners in the Gulf region and the Black Sea in recent weeks, raising alarms across the global shipping industry and among Gulf business circles that depend on the uninterrupted flow of energy exports.
India Presses for Maritime Security Push
The incident comes as India pushes for stronger international cooperation to protect ships and seafarers. On Friday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the newly formed Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, an initiative launched during the 81st United Nations General Assembly to bring maritime stakeholders together, officials said.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the group seeks to coordinate countries involved in commercial shipping and the maritime industry, as well as nations with significant seafaring communities, placing the safety of seafarers and commercial shipping at the centre of global discussions.
The group’s inaugural meeting in New York drew 25 participating countries and is co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, according to official statements. India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of international seafarers, while Liberia holds the world’s largest shipping registry by tonnage.
As co-chairs, India and Liberia issued a joint statement condemning attacks on vessels as indefensible, expressed condolences to the families of seafarers who had lost their lives, and called for an immediate end to actions disrupting maritime trade, state media reported.
Gulf Shipping Under Strain
Gulf maritime security has been under growing strain amid the wider regional confrontation, with shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf facing repeated threats in recent weeks. The attack on the MT GEM NO. 2, so close to the UAE’s commercial heartland, is likely to intensify calls from regional governments and shipping lines for tougher protective measures, analysts said.
Indian officials said they would continue tracking the vessel’s situation in coordination with the ship’s managers. No further casualties or damage details were released as of Sunday morning.
