Three Indian seafarers have been confirmed dead following a US strike on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday.

The sailors were part of the crew aboard the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello, which was hit on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman. They had initially been reported missing before authorities confirmed that their bodies had been recovered and identified.

“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello,” Sonowal said in a statement, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased. He added that the government stands “firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has summoned a senior US diplomat in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over the attack.

Officials said efforts are underway to ensure the swift repatriation of the remains of the deceased sailors, as well as the return of surviving crew members to India.

The incident is the second reported strike on a merchant vessel with a largely Indian crew in recent days. Earlier this week, Omani authorities evacuated 24 Indian sailors from another Palau-flagged tanker, the MT Marivex, after it was struck in the same maritime region.

Images circulated by the Forward Seamen’s Union of India showed dramatic helicopter evacuations as thick smoke rose from the damaged vessel.

Authorities have not released further operational details surrounding the strikes, but the incidents have raised fresh concerns about the safety of commercial shipping in the strategically sensitive waters near the Strait of Hormuz.