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Cargo vessel struck by drone attack in Gulf, Iraqi officials say

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A cargo vessel sustained two explosions in the Gulf, with Iraqi officials attributing one to a drone attack.
  • The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported the vessel was hit by a projectile, causing a large explosion.
  • A second explosion, believed to be from a drone, sparked a fire that was later controlled; no group has claimed responsibility.

Two explosions struck a cargo vessel in the Gulf approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Iraq's Umm Qasr on Monday, with Iraqi officials identifying one as a drone attack. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported that the vessel was hit by a projectile on its starboard side, resulting in a significant explosion.

According to an initial assessment by Iraqi officials, a second explosion occurred shortly after, caused by a drone attack. A member of the Iraqi maritime patrol described hearing a drone overhead before the powerful blast ignited a fire on the tanker. The fire aboard the vessel was subsequently brought under control.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and details regarding the vessel's identity remain unavailable. This incident follows recent reports of the Islamic regime firing at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week.

As we were assessing the damage from the first explosion, we heard a drone hovering overhead, followed by a powerful blast that sparked a fire on the tanker.

— Iraqi maritime patrol memberDescribing the sequence of events during the attack on the cargo vessel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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