A small boat attached two limpet mines to the tanker MT Louise 1 near Oman on October 29, starting a fire in its engine room and temporarily stopping the ship, but the crew were safe and the vessel resumed its voyage.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said the attack happened about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab while the tanker was sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz. The agency said the fire was put out. It said there were no reported effects on the environment.
The ship continued toward its next port. Maritime security sources identified the vessel as the Panama-flagged Louise 1. They said it was carrying 27 Indian seafarers.
India’s shipping minister confirmed that the seafarers were safe. The attacker’s identity was not known. Authorities were investigating.
Security sources described the incident as the first known successful use of limpet mines against a vessel in the waterway since the conflict began in February. A similar attempt in September reportedly failed because the devices did not explode. The attack has renewed concern about how vulnerable ships are in the busy strait.
Small craft can approach vessels there at close range.