‘I Will Return Home Safely’: Final Words of Indian Navy Personnel Suresh to His Wife Before Dying in U.S. Attack

“He assured me he would return home soon. I never imagined he would come back this way,” said Bhargavi Patnala. Her husband, Suresh Patnala, a member of the Indian maritime crew, was killed this week in a U.S. attack near the Gulf of Oman. The couple had been preparing to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this month. Now, Bhargavi is left to contemplate a future without Suresh.

On Wednesday, Suresh was one of three Indians killed when the U.S. military launched an attack on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. According to the U.S. military, the attack was part of Washington’s efforts to enforce a blockade against vessels linked to Iran. The U.S. stated that the tanker was carrying Iranian oil and had repeatedly ignored warnings. However, the ship’s management denied these allegations, asserting the vessel had no connections to Iran and had received no prior warnings before the attack. Twenty-one other crew members were rescued.

The news of the deaths has deeply saddened people across India—from Bhargavi’s home in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to cities and villages hundreds of kilometers away. In many of these places, family members who have lost loved ones working at sea are mourning. Many are seeking answers about the circumstances of the attack and awaiting the return of the crew members’ bodies.

In a post on social media platform X, Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated efforts are underway to recover the deceased and described their deaths as a “profound loss” to India’s maritime community. India has strongly protested the attack to the Washington government and called for an end to attacks on commercial vessels.