London, March 12 (SANA) A container ship was struck by an unknown projectile early Thursday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, causing a small fire on board, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
The UKMTO, a British maritime security authority that monitors shipping incidents in the region, said the attack occurred about 35 nautical miles north of Jebel Ali port in Dubai, one of the Gulf’s largest shipping hubs.
According to the agency, a full assessment of the damage was not immediately possible because of darkness, but all crew members were reported safe.
The incident is the sixth reported attack on commercial vessels in the Gulf within the past two days, amid escalating regional tensions and a series of drone and missile attacks targeting oil tankers, cargo ships and energy infrastructure.
Earlier Wednesday night, two foreign oil tankers caught fire in Iraqi waters following an Iranian attack, leaving one person dead and 38 crew members rescued.
A Thai cargo vessel was also set ablaze after an attack in the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of its crew, while two other ships reported being targeted in separate incidents the same day.
