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.
The crude oil tanker, identified as TMS Tankers-operated Agrari in reports, has sustained hull damage from an “attack,” receiving a breach about one meter above the waterline, Saudi authorities said. 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.
Latest position of the Agrari Crude Oil Tanker pic.twitter.com/rvjj6zHkmg
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.
The explosion took place within the limits of a port in the 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.
#Breaking – Explosion damages #Greek oil tanker off Saudi Arabia The blast on Wednesday hit the MT Agrari, a Maltese-flagged, Greek-managed vessel off the coast of Shuqaiq. pic.twitter.com/rj39hzibtJ
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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