A tanker resumed its voyage after explosives attached to its hull ignited an engine-room fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on October 30. British maritime agency UKMTO said the crew was safe and reported no environmental impact. The attack adds to dangers facing commercial shipping on a major oil export route.
The incident occurred on October 29, about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. According to UKMTO's account carried by maritime outlet gCaptain, a small boat approached the tanker's port side and attached two explosive devices above the waterline. The explosions temporarily disabled the ship before the fire was extinguished.
Three maritime security sources told Reuters that the vessel was the Panama-flagged Louise 1 and that limpet mines were used. These explosives are attached directly to a ship's hull. Reuters said responsibility was not immediately clear; UKMTO did not name the tanker in its advisory.
Separately, Oman's Maritime Security Centre said its navy evacuated 25 crew members from the Panama-flagged merchant vessel RITI after an attack caused a fire, according to AFP reporting carried by The Times of Israel. That rescue is a separate reported incident and does not establish who carried out the attack on Louise 1.
Maritime specialists warned of the risks posed by small boats approaching ships. gCaptain cited EOS Risk Group's Martin Kelly as saying vessels at anchor could be especially vulnerable to explosives placed below the waterline. UKMTO's report that the damaged tanker continued toward its next port provides a limited operational update; the identity of the attackers remains unresolved in the Reuters account.
Comments