India on Thursday said an Indian-flagged ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, calling the incident "unacceptable."
The attack occurred Wednesday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
"We deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," Jaiswal said, adding that the Indian crew members were safe and had been rescued by Omani authorities.
India reiterated that "targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided," he added.
The statement came after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Thursday that a vessel had been seized by "unauthorized personnel" off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and was heading toward Iranian territorial waters.
The UKMTO said it received a report of the incident about 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah in the UAE.
"The vessel has been taken by unauthorized personnel while at anchor and is now bound for Iranian territorial waters," the ship's company security officer reported, according to a statement.
Regional tensions have remained high since US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year triggered retaliatory attacks and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between Oman, Iran and the UAE connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Amid a fragile ceasefire, the US has also enforced naval restrictions targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13.
According to a tally by Anadolu, at least 27 people from Asian countries have been killed or remain missing since the war began on Feb. 28.
