{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "No Attack on Indian-Crewed Liaki Freedom Off Oman, Says India — All Sailors Confirmed Safe After Captain Contacted Directly",
  "summary": "India's Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed claims of a US strike on the ship Liaki Freedom off Oman that allegedly killed four Indian sailors, saying it spoke directly to the captain who confirmed every crew member is safe.",
  "content": "A frightening rumour spreading across maritime circles has been firmly shot down by the Indian government. The claim was that a ship near the coast of Oman had been struck, killing four Indian sailors on board. On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs branded the entire account baseless, making clear that every single crew member aboard the vessel at the centre of the storm — Liaki Freedom — is completely safe.\n\nConfirmation Came Straight From the Captain\nMEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that rather than rely on speculation, the government reached out directly to the ship's master, or captain. The captain gave the assurance that all crew aboard were safe and that the information circulating in the media was factually wrong.\n\nHow the Rumour Took Shape\nSome reports had asserted that the United States attacked the Marshall Island-flagged vessel close to the Oman coast, and that four Indians lost their lives in that strike. The moment such accounts surfaced, anxiety spread among families and the public over the safety of the Indian seafarers.\n\nA breakdown in communication added fuel to the rumour. The Forward Seamen's Union of India had earlier reported that the ship's VHF radio system could not be reached. Although the union managed to track the vessel's location, the gap in contact set off a wave of speculation in the meantime.\n\nWhy the Worry Ran Deep\nThe clarification lands at a time when several Indian-crewed ships have been caught in attacks across the Gulf of Oman and around the Strait of Hormuz in recent days — which is precisely why people were quick to believe the latest report.\n\nOn 10 June, the oil tanker MT Settebello was hit in a missile attack that killed three Indian sailors, while 21 others were rescued safely. Just a day later, the engine room of MT Jalveer was targeted with a missile, though all 20 crew members survived that strike. Before that, on 8 June, a tanker named Marivex was attacked, after which a fire broke out and the crew had to be evacuated.\n\nWashington's Justification and the Final Word\nThe US Central Command (CENTCOM) has maintained that these ships were violating a blockade of Iranian ports and failing to follow instructions. It was against this backdrop that the Liaki Freedom story gained traction. The MEA, however, has stated plainly that the claim of an attack on this ship and the deaths of four Indians is entirely fabricated, and that all the Indian sailors aboard are safe.\n\nWhat this means for you\nWhat this means for you:\n\n• Across India: Pause before forwarding such alarming messages on social media or chat apps, since the MEA has declared the claim of an attack on Liaki Freedom and four sailor deaths to be completely false.\n• For seafarers' families: Worry about Indian crews working around the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is understandable, so treat any report as confirmed only after an official government verification.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/world/omana-tata-ke-pasa-bharatiya-kru-vale-jahaja-para-hamale-ki-khabara-jhuthi-vides-319",
  "category": "World",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-13",
  "tags": [
    "Liaki Freedom ship",
    "Oman coast attack",
    "Ministry of External Affairs",
    "Indian sailors",
    "Strait of Hormuz",
    "MT Settebello",
    "CENTCOM",
    "fake news"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}