The British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reports that a merchant cargo vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile in the Indian Ocean, southeast of Oman. An explosion was reported near the vessel before the direct hit caused physical damage, but the crew is unharmed and the ship is continuing to its destination port. No party has claimed responsibility.
The UKMTO reported on Thursday at 18:18 Jerusalem that a merchant cargo vessel sustained damage from an unidentified projectile while sailing in the Indian Ocean, southeast of Oman. According to the report, an explosion occurred near the vessel before the direct hit caused physical damage. No casualties were reported among the crew, and the ship continued its voyage to its destination port.
The incident follows a series of maritime attacks off the coasts of Oman and Yemen in recent weeks, as tracked by The Zioneer. On June 13, an oil tanker was struck by gunfire off Oman, and another tanker was hit by an RPG from a skiff on June 15. On June 10, a small vessel attacked a cargo ship south of Yemen, with the ship's security team returning fire. All previous incidents were reported by UKMTO with no casualties. In none of these cases has a party claimed responsibility, though Houthi-claimed attacks in the region have occurred.
No group or state has taken responsibility for today's strike. The vessel's identity and the nature of the projectile remain unspecified. The report is single-sourced from UKMTO via a regional the source, and no independent corroboration has yet emerged.
7 developments
- StrongIRGC attacks vessel off Oman in Strait of Hormuz, following threats to close strait
- StrongIRGC warns Oman against bypassing Iran in Strait of Hormuz transit
- DevelopingIRGC-affiliated news agency claims Iranian missile hit US Navy ship off Oman
- DevelopingIRGC says it struck two vessels attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake