Panama-Flagged Louise 1 Hit by 2 Limpet Mines in Strait of Hormuz
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Oct 30
Panama-Flagged Louise 1 Hit by 2 Limpet Mines in Strait of Hormuz
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Oct 30
Summary
Two limpet mines attached by a small boat struck the Panama-flagged tanker Louise 1 in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking an engine-room fire and temporarily disabling the vessel, maritime security sources said.
UKMTO said the crew was safe, the fire was extinguished and no pollution was reported after the blast 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab; the tanker was continuing to its next port.
Three maritime security sources identified the ship as Louise 1, and two said it was the first successful limpet-mine strike in the waterway since the U.S.-Iran war began in February after a failed attempt in September.
The attacker was not immediately known, but the incident adds to repeated strikes on commercial shipping in and around the strait, where Iran has targeted vessels it says breached its passage restrictions.