Maritime attack near Oman injures 11 Indians; co-pilot confesses to Israel airport plot

A commercial vessel, the MT ON PEACE, flying a Panama flag, was attacked near the coast of Oman in the Hormuz Strait. The attack, involving projectiles such as missiles or bombs, resulted in injuries to 11 Indian crew members. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed grave concern over the incident and the ongoing attacks on commercial vessels in the region, calling for an immediate end to such actions to ensure the safety of maritime trade and personnel.

In a separate security development, an Omani co-pilot, Hammam Al-Hamami, has allegedly confessed to a plot to hijack a FlyDubai flight and crash it into Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, similar to the September 11 attacks. The co-pilot claimed he intended to kill the Indian captain, Smith Machar, to take control of the aircraft. The attempt was thwarted by the captain’s actions during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are currently investigating the matter.