20 THAI SAILORS RETURN HOME AFTER SURVIVING VESSEL ATTACK IN GULF

Twenty sailors from Thailand have returned home after surviving a projectile attack on their cargo vessel while sailing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.

The sailors arrived early Monday at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, where they were received by officials and quickly escorted away from the media following the traumatic ordeal.

The crew had been aboard the Thai-registered bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, which came under attack on March 11 while navigating the Gulf after departing a port in the United Arab Emirates. According to Thai authorities, the vessel was struck by two projectiles, causing serious damage and forcing the crew to abandon ship.

Twenty of the 23 crew members managed to escape using a lifeboat and were later rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman, which transported them to safety. However, three sailors remain stranded on the damaged vessel as rescue efforts continue.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck the Thai vessel and another ship in the area, claiming the vessels had ignored warnings while passing through the sensitive waterway.

Family members of the rescued sailors gathered at the airport in Bangkok to welcome their loved ones home. One woman said she had only been able to communicate with her husband through online messages since the attack and had brought their young child to see him upon his return.

The incident highlights the growing risks faced by commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, a key corridor through which a large portion of the world’s oil supply passes. Security concerns in the region have intensified amid ongoing tensions and military activity across the Middle East.

Thai authorities say ensuring the safety of the remaining crew members still aboard the damaged vessel remains a “highest priority.”