Drone attack sparks fire on Kuwaiti tanker in UAE region

Dubai Port Attacked by Drone: Authorities Report Containment of Blaze with No Oil Leakage or Injuries

A drone attack on a fully loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker at Dubai Port sparked a fire that was later extinguished, authorities said. The incident occurred overnight, and response teams contained the situation without any reported injuries or oil leakage.

The Al Salmi tanker, owned by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), was struck in the attack while anchored at the port in the United Arab Emirates. KPC warned of a possible oil spill in surrounding waters.

Multiple loud explosions were heard in Dubai, starting around 6 or 7pm local time on Monday until about 1 or 2am on Tuesday. Authorities reported that no military jets were involved in the incident.

The tanker was carrying approximately two million barrels of oil from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to Qingdao, China. The attack is part of a series of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles or explosive air and sea drones in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28.

Other countries in the region have also reported attacks. A Greek-owned container ship was hit by projectiles near Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura, while a Thai cargo ship struck by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz had its crew members missing. In Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar, multiple incidents were reported overnight, including interceptions of missiles and drones.

Iran’s foreign minister has stated that Tehran’s attacks on Gulf Arab states target US forces only, despite assaults hitting civilian targets throughout the region.

Source: Al Jazeera