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Saudi energy Minister:

Two Saudi oil tankers targeted in ‘sabotage attack’ near UAE

13 May 2019 - 11:27

Two Saudi oil tankers have been targeted in a ‘sabotage attack’ on Sunday off the UAE coast of Fujairah, Saudi Arabia energy minister announced.


Khalid al-Falih said in a statement on Monday that the attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.

The announcement came a day after the UAE confirmed that four commercial vessels had been targeted by what it called acts of sabotage off Fujairah.

Falih said one of the two tankers had been on its way to be loaded with crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil terminal in the Persian Gulf for customers in the United States.

The attack, he said, aimed to “threaten the freedom of maritime navigation and the security of oil supplies to consumers around the world.”

The international community has joint responsibility to maintain the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, Falih added.

His statement appeared to have been coordinated with the UAE which on Sunday said, "The international community should carry out its responsibilities to prevent any parties trying to harm maritime security and safety, which would be considered a threat to international safety and security.”

The cause of the explosions has not been ascertained and there has been no claim of responsibility, but speculations range from drone or missile attacks from Yemen, to possible dropping of bombs by US forces to ignite tensions in the region.

Iran on Monday voiced concern about "adventurism by foreign players" to disrupt maritime navigation in the Persian Gulf region, describing the incident as "lamentable" and "worrying" and calling for thorough investigations.

On Sunday, the Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television channel reported that as many as seven tankers had been hit by a massive fire at the Fujairah bunkering terminal. According to the report, several powerful explosions had been heard at the port.

Fujairah port is the only terminal in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast. The small emirate has an oil terminal and a pipeline that delivers crude oil from Abu Dhabi which sits on the majority of UAE oil reserves.


KD


Story Code: 419794

News Link :
https://www.taghribnews.com/en/news/419794/two-saudi-oil-tankers-targeted-in-sabotage-attack-near-uae

Taghribnews (TNA)
  https://www.taghribnews.com