Archive satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, December 2, 2020. MODIS Land Rapid Response Team / NASA GSFC, public domain, cropped. Not an image of the attack.
A small boat attached two explosive devices to a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, setting off blasts that caused an engine-room fire and temporarily disabled the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an updated warning.
The crew is safe, the fire has been extinguished and the tanker is continuing to its next port of call, UKMTO said. The agency reported no environmental impact.
Explosives attached above the waterline
The incident occurred Thursday, October 29, at 22:12 UTC, about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, according to UKMTO warning 187-26, Update 001.
The updated warning says a verified report indicated that the small boat approached the tanker’s port side and attached two explosive devices to its hull above the waterline. The subsequent blasts started the fire in the engine room.
UKMTO did not identify the tanker, its flag, its cargo or who was responsible for the attack in the warning.
Earlier fire report upgraded to an attack
The initial warning described a third-party report of an outbound vessel on fire and said the cause, crew status, damage and environmental impact were unknown.
Update 001, marked 01:50 UTC on October 30, classified the incident as an attack and added the account of the explosives, the crew’s safety and the vessel’s return to its voyage.
The new report is separate from UKMTO warning 186-26, which described a tanker struck by an unknown projectile during an outbound transit at 16:00 UTC Thursday. That earlier report said there were no reported crew injuries or environmental impact at the time.
Shipping advised to use caution
UKMTO advised vessels to transit with caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate. Its latest warning does not announce a closure of the strait or identify a change in access rules.
The warning also does not establish responsibility for the attack. The explosives account should not be treated as a finding about the devices’ origin or the identity of the people aboard the small boat.
JBizNews Desk | Global Shipping
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