India today reiterated that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.

In a statement regarding the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree in the Straits of Hormuz, the External Affairs Ministry said India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The Thai ship was bound for Kandla in India.

The Ministry expressed concern that precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing.