Goa, June 11 -- Three Indian seafarers who were initially reported missing after a US strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman have been confirmed dead, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello was carrying 28 crew members, including 24 Indians, when it came under attack in the Gulf of Oman. According to the US military, the vessel was targeted for allegedly violating an American blockade on Iranian oil exports.

The three deceased Indians have been identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. Their bodies have since been recovered and identified.

Expressing his condolences, Sonowal described the incident ...