'Why are they killing our children?' asks family of Indian sailor killed in Hormuz

The family of Suraj Yadav, a 23-year-old Indian sailor killed in the Strait of Hormuz, has called on Iran and the US to cease attacks on merchant vessels. Suraj was among 28 crew members on the bulk carrier Cape Dao when two projectiles hit the ship northeast of Oman on September 23, killing him and injuring another sailor. Another 24 sailors have been killed in 85 incidents involving commercial shipping in the region since the US-Iran conflict began in February.

The family pleads, "Fight with each other, leave our children alone; they are innocent." Suraj's uncle, Awadhesh Yadav, expressed the family's inconsolable grief, saying, "When you lose a child at such a young age, what can you say?" Indian authorities claim Suraj's body has been retrieved, and the Indian embassy in Muscat is coordinating with Omani authorities on repatriation.

The International Maritime Organisation has documented 24 sailor deaths in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Middle East since the conflict started. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India, representing seafarers, demands stronger protections for sailors, warning that attacks on merchant ships are well-planned and executed. The US-Middle East conflict has turned the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for about 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies, into a flashpoint, with ships caught in the crossfire.