The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday strongly condemned what it described as a “terrorist attack” targeting an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi for an important bilateral visit.

In a statement issued through its official social media platforms, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) described the incident as a serious threat to international maritime security and freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.