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Tanker catches fire off Saudi Arabia after ‘unknown projectile’ strike: maritime agency

Tanker catches fire off Saudi Arabia after ‘unknown projectile’ strike: maritime agency
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Key takeaways by Insider Paper
  • UKMTO says tanker struck by an unknown projectile caught fire off Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.
  • All crew are safe and accounted for, and no environmental impact has been reported, UKMTO added.
  • The strike occurred 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, hundreds of kilometers north of Yemen.
  • Vanguard Tech said a Saudi-flagged vessel was hit by a missile and caught fire amid Houthi attacks after a declared maritime blockade.

A tanker struck by an “unknown projectile” caught fire off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast on Monday, a British maritime agency said, as Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi shipping after declaring a maritime blockade.

“The Company Security Officer reported a tanker has been struck by unknown projectile causing a fire to the vessel on the main deck,” said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

“All crew are safe and accounted for and no environmental impact has been reported,” it added.

The incident took place 63 nautical miles west from the Saudi city of Yanbu, the agency reported. Yanbu lies hundreds of kilometres north of Yemen.

British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said a Saudi-flagged vessel had been hit by a missile and caught fire.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking the kingdom’s ships after they declared last month a maritime blockade of their Saudi foes.

About the author

AFP

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.

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