London, July 23 (IANS) A tanker caught fire off the coast of Saudi Arabia after being struck by an unknown projectile, leaving the crew fighting the blaze, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
According to a UKMTO advisory, the attack occurred about 70 nautical miles (130 km) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the southern Red Sea.
The UKMTO said there were no reported casualties or environmental impact, and an investigation was underway.
The attack was reported around the same time on Wednesday (local time) as Yemen’s Houthi group said it had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
The group had announced a maritime ban on Saudi-linked vessels two days earlier, citing what it described as Saudi Arabia’s long-running blockade on areas under its control.
The latest attack underscores growing security concerns along the Red Sea shipping route leading to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising fears that disruptions already affecting the Strait of Hormuz could spread to another vital maritime chokepoint, reports Xinhua news agency.
Shipping analytics firm Kpler said on Wednesday that vessel traffic through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell sharply on Tuesday as security conditions deteriorated.
The firm also reported several confirmed vessel U-turns near the Gulf of Aden following Houthi threats against Saudi-linked shipping, suggesting that operators were becoming increasingly cautious.
Kpler warned that continued attacks around the two regional maritime chokepoints could reshape shipping routes, raise freight costs and keep geopolitical risk premiums in global energy markets elevated.
–IANS
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