Tanker hit by multiple projectiles in Gulf off Qatar, maritime agency says

What the report says

A tanker has been hit by multiple projectiles in the Gulf north of Qatar, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. The incident took place about 51 nautical miles from Madinat al-Shamal, and the agency said casualties were reported on board. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard identified the ship as the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged oil and chemical tanker Acers, which was said to be carrying cargo and heading toward the Strait of Hormuz.

BBC World News reported that the attack comes amid a pattern of assaults on merchant shipping in the region since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began in February. The article cited the UN’s International Maritime Organization as saying 24 seafarers have been killed in 93 confirmed incidents. It also noted that the last reported attack causing casualties was on 9 September, when two sailors were killed in an attack on the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia.

The latest strike appears significant because it is the first reported attack on a ship this far west of the Strait of Hormuz since that September incident, according to a risk advisory specialist quoted by the BBC. The strait is a major route for global oil and gas shipments, and shipping through the area has remained under tight security after earlier attacks and responses involving the US and Iran. Separate to the Qatar incident, Vanguard also reported a fire on another tanker in the Gulf of Oman, though the cause was unclear and the UKMTO had not confirmed an incident there.