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Mine blast damages hull of oil tanker near Saudi Arabian port | Mine blast damages hull of oil tanker near Saudi Arabian port |
(32 minutes later) | |
A Greek-operated oil tanker has been damaged by a mine explosion near a Saudi port in the Red Sea, local authorities have confirmed. The incident is suspected to stem from Riyadh’s protracted war with Yemen rebels. | A Greek-operated oil tanker has been damaged by a mine explosion near a Saudi port in the Red Sea, local authorities have confirmed. The incident is suspected to stem from Riyadh’s protracted war with Yemen rebels. |
Saudi authorities confirmed on Wednesday that a Maltese-flagged oil tanker sustained minor damage following an "attack" at a Red Sea port. | |
The vessel's operator, Athens-based shipping company TMS Tankers, said in a statement that the 'Agrari' suffered a breach after it was struck one meter above the waterline while in berth at al-Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. | |
TMS Tankers said the attack occurred at midnight GMT, after the vessel's cargo was discharged and it was preparing to depart. | |
The company added that the source of the attack was unknown to them.The operator said that no pollution had been reported from the incident. | |
A report by the maritime security firm Ambrey said a magnetic mine was likely used to cause the damage. No injuries were reported from the blast. | |
The explosion took place within the limits of the port in Saudi Arabia's Jazan province, which borders war-torn Yemen to the south, and the tanker remains floating off the coast. According to Ambrey, before the incident it had unloaded its cargo at the Shuqaiq Steam Power Plant. | |
The Saudi-led coalition says the attack was an act of terrorism perpetrated by the Houthi militias, with the support of Iran, which was designed to threaten international shipping and trade. | The Saudi-led coalition says the attack was an act of terrorism perpetrated by the Houthi militias, with the support of Iran, which was designed to threaten international shipping and trade. |
According to the coalition statement, the terrorist act was thwarted and the commercial vessel only suffered minor damage from shrapnel. | According to the coalition statement, the terrorist act was thwarted and the commercial vessel only suffered minor damage from shrapnel. |
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war, leading a bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels and enforcing a de facto naval blockade of the impoverished nation. | |
The rebels have on numerous occasions targeted maritime traffic in the Red Sea, threatening the kingdom's main source of income. Saudi Arabia accuses its arch-rival Iran of providing weapons and training to the Houthis. | |
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