Indian crew safe after oil tanker attacked with limpet mines in Strait of Hormuz
An oil tanker carrying 27 Indian seafarers was targeted with limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire in its engine room, maritime security sources said on Friday.
The attack on the Panama-flagged Louise 1 took place on Thursday, approximately 25 nautical miles (46 km) northeast of Oman’s Khasab. According to the sources, a small boat approached the vessel and attached two limpet mines to its hull, causing the fire.
India’s Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that all 27 Indian seafarers aboard the tanker were safe and had sustained no injuries. He also said two Indian nationals aboard another tanker that came under a separate attack on October 29 were safe.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the fire had been extinguished, the crew were safe and no environmental impact had been reported.
The incident marks the first known successful use of limpet mines against a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran war began in February. The identities of those responsible for the attack were not immediately known.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping route for oil and gas exports, has witnessed a sharp rise in attacks on commercial vessels. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a US-based think tank, said attacks on ships in the waterway had reached their highest level since the war began.
In a separate development, the Louise 1 had previously been targeted by naval drones in the Black Sea in an attack attributed to Ukrainian forces. The vessel was reportedly suspected of transporting Russian oil and being part of Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet, which is used to move oil despite international sanctions.
