Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi oil have been attacked inside Iraq's territorial waters. Both vessels have caught fire. It is unclear where the attacks came from.
This was stated by the director of the state-owned company General Company of Ports, Farhan al-Fartousi, according to the news agencies Reuters and CNN. 38 crew members from the two ships have been evacuated, the director told CNN. At least one person has lost their life, the director said.
The General Company for Ports is a state-owned company under the Iraqi Ministry of Transport that manages and operates five main ports in Iraq. It is unclear where the evacuees and the person killed come from.
Videos circulating online show two large vessels engulfed in flames, with massive flames and thick black smoke rising into the sky. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Iraqi security officials told Reuters that initial investigations indicate that Iranian boats loaded with explosives sailed into the two oil tankers.
The two ships burning are the Zefyros, which sails under the Maltese flag, and the Safesea Vishnu from the Marshall Islands. The registered owner of the Safesea Vishnu is the American company Safesea Transport Inc., while the owner of the Zefyros is based in Greece, writes CNN.
A number of countries in the Middle East have been subjected to attacks with Iranian drones and missiles since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran. The Iraqi cities of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah were hit by drone attacks late Wednesday.
A downed drone fell near the five-star Divan Hotel in the Saad Abdullah Conference Hall complex in Erbil, which is a venue for high-level political meetings. AP writes.
The United States warned on Wednesday that Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq have targeted hotels in the country that are often visited by Americans, including in Kurdistan. The AFP news agency writes.
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